


Masking It

by Fanficanatic



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bully Percy, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cutting, Dark Percy, Depression, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, OOC percy, Other relationships - Freeform, Percy is a Dick, Romance, Sad Nico, Trigger Warnings Galore, Year Long Process, it's complicated - Freeform, sarcastic nico
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:41:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7977097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanficanatic/pseuds/Fanficanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico and Percy have never gotten along, from the moment they met each other. Percy absolutely despises Nico and everything that he does, an onslaught of insults hurled from each direction. And Nico...</p><p>He just takes it, because he's wants to love the person behind the punch, wants to not be afraid of being beaten to a pulp. Wants to be loved by the guy who's been abusing him for so long, it hurts. What hurts more? Dating that very same person. Just not in the way he'd like it.</p><p>Not in a million years did he see this happen. And he just has to keep...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Exposition

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome. This is my new story called Masking It. This is a story I have thought of doing for a while now, yet never had the foundation to build upon. Well, I spent the last few days going over certain things I might want to do with this and I decided the best thing is to give out a test run. Let's call this a little taste of what might be expected. A lot of things might not make sense in the beginning, but I'm just world building around pre-made characters. It will take some time, don't worry.
> 
> This story will be quite long as I am planning to do this till the end of next year, around December. Yes, I can hear you whining already. _December? Why so long?!_ I'm making this long because I want to flesh out every single detail of the characters depending on the month. You will see them in a showcase of their entire emotional outset. You may cry, you might laugh, but you will definitely find some deeper meanings in here. I'm not going to point them out, that's for you to decipher. 
> 
> Anyway, this is a story I've been wanting to do for a while, and I do warn, there is some... undesirable name calling in this story. If you feel at all uncomfortable during this, please stop reading. It will be a constant thing, so either get over it or leave. i'm not trying to be rude, but it is important to the character's development. I hope you understand. And with this final note, I'm leaving you with an interesting aside. 
> 
> I might. MIGHT. revive an old story I feel I was not yet emotionally ready to tackle when I first started out. If you know what I am talking about, yes, I am thinking of restarting it. if you don't know, I suggest looking through my profile and you will find it. I have been writing for the past nine months, created about eight stories and felt that the feedback was pretty great. That's only because I've been doing slightly risky stuff, such as dubious con and kinks. This is something I thought was a little too out of my league, considering when I started out I was just a wee little writer. The harshness of the comments didn't tide over too well, and I was a bitch for pulling out. But now, I can handle it. It won't hurt me as much. So, keep all this in mind. It is NOT set in stone.
> 
> Enjoy my new story, Masking It! I hope you like it.
> 
> Trigger Warnings: Hurtful Name Calling, Bullying, Emotional Distress, Violence (Slight), Blood

_The End_

Why did it have to end? What was the point of an ending if you just have different scenarios going through your head about how it should have ended instead of the way it did end? Did this ending give it closure? There was so many more possibilities that could have been, yet the author decided to choose this route. No matter, this story will not end like the rest. Nor will it begin like another.

Nico sighed, closing the bright Chrome app on his phone and sitting back against the tree. A light breeze sifted through his hair, raising the strands ever so slightly before settling once more. He looked at the ground, back at the infernal device called the telephone. For being a marker on the road to technological advances, it sure made it extremely hard to like it when it gave him such torture. Torture such as the meaning of “what if”.

The book he had been reading on his phone had just been finished, and as cliche as it is, the boy gets the girl and saves the world. Happy ending galores. Nico grimaced, his entire form bending downwards with the frown. He could feel the jealousy for the character and sadness for the book rising as bile in his throat formed, making him feel the need to throw up. How could such a mysterious and dark series turn into a predictable best seller? It was a great steal, and had two books sequels with equally compelling review rates. Deadline pushing? Writer’s block? What would have happened if the writer just took the fans advice? He didn't ponder long, the thought curdling his mind into unhappiness.

The dark haired boy pulled out his notebook, silently reflecting his past thoughts. The notebook was worn and torn at the seam, some pages completely omitted from existence by Fate's command, lost and forgotten. Doodles and pictures adorned the pages, mostly of a beautiful field, a calm forest, or a certain person. Nico shuddered at the thought of said person, but continued his thinking. 

_**Tap tap** _

The thudding of the pencil struck the paper, making it even more riddled with wasted graphite. The contemplation of what to draw grew larger and larger before Nico sighed and began his art.

Swift, strong lines flowed across the pages, connecting and disconnecting from each other. The body was complete. Shades and hues were put into play, contrasted only by the shade of the tree. Black like the color of ink, golden yellow rays of sunlight beating on a body, and indigo for his dyed jeans, fading with time. Nico reached for a pencil with the perfect amount of greenish blue before he stopped, seeing a looming shadow that was not there two minutes ago in his peripheral vision. He turned his body, facing the person who always knew where he was at 3:37 PM, every Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday, and Saturday of the year. Their faux smile plastered across their face that ran chills down Nico’s spine, hands in pockets aching to hit something, trying hard not to laugh at the utter despair of the other. None other than Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson, the top swimmer and jock of the school. Muscular, handsome, funny, all the typical signia of a popular guy. He also had the insufferable trait of being a bully too. Thing was, he never went after anyone but Nico. Poor, little Nico, who had never crossed his path until 7th grade Percy and 6th grade Nico had each other in the same math class. Nico had been quite smart in elementary school and even managed to skip two grades, being the small 10 year old in a middle school environment. Ever since they sat next to each other, Nico has been the prime victim of abuse to Percy. From the slight annoyances of paper throws to beating him up behind the gym after school bloodied and shivering for comfort, the past four years had been hell for Nico every time he saw Percy Jackson. Even during the part of their relationship where middle school and high school were not in the same area, Nico and Percy lived almost 2 blocks away from each other, which Percy would take advantage of by visiting his house every weekend. It didn’t help Nico that he had a deep rooted crush with the water boy.

The young man had the most beautiful green eyes in existence, not even being a full shade of green, but a mixture of some magnificent hues of blue and green imaginable. When Nico went to some of the swim meets that Percy dominated for the yearbook club, he had an Adonis body, 6 pack abs rippling down his stomach and v-lines that could carve its way into a steak. His light tan across his entire body made him even more desirable to others, knowing that only the sun knew what his perfect ass looked like. His muscles were taut and lean, with biceps like a gym bunny, but not like a bodybuilder. His hair was slightly messy and spiked in some directions, not too long either. Not only his appearance, but his personality to everyone else besides Nico was amiable and overall grandiose. He was said to go to soup kitchens, help out homeless people not for community service, but because he could. He made friends with everyone in school, even the loner kids who no one liked. The teachers commended his hard work and no one had a problem with him. Except Nico. He was so disgustingly liked it made him almost unlikeable, if not for his hatred for Nico. And Nico still liked him, because he hoped that he could one day gain at least a sliver of friendship from this guy. Mostly unlikely.

“Hey, what’s up, Di Angelo? How’s my favorite faggot?” He was also a perceptive son of a bitch. About two years into knowing Nico, he found him staring a bit too long at his ass and demanded to know what’s up, with Nico up against a back wall, lip busted and eye bruised. Through Nico’s incessant sobbing, Percy found out he was gay for him. Percy then used this information to harass Nico, flashing him with random body parts slightly every now and again and then accusing him of being a pervert, finding another reason to beat him up. 

“I'm feeling good, thanks Jackson.” Percy slapped him across the face, hard and firm. Not for any particular reason, but because he could. It was a really, really annoying trait that he had.

“Good. I'd hate for you to be unhappy without me around. Now, I just came over to see what you're doing. Dreaming of sucking more dick? Maybe mine?” Percy raised his eyebrows in a comical fashion, as if they were old buddies sharing a joke.

“I just finished reading a book.”

“Well, I bet it was shit.”

“No, the plot was decent and the characters were memorable, the series has been-”

“Did I ask for your opinion?” Nico rolled his eyes.

“No, and I am giving it to you. I thought-!” Another slap, harder, came flying across his face, followed by a punch to the stomach.

“Does it look like I give a damn? I don't fucking care!” The book flew to the side, underneath the shade of the tree. Percy winded back his foot and kicked me right in the stomach. As soon as it made contact, Nico curled into a ball and tried to protect himself. The angry high schooler jumped atop Nico and began wailing on him, hit after hit connecting with his body. Nico just stayed perfectly still, not trying to deflect any of them. Some of the punches caught his lip, splitting it. A well aimed knee to the stomach made blood spurt out of his mouth. He couldn’t move, or else it would last longer. The blows subsided.

Sheesh, now I'm in a bad mood. Fucking fairy. I'm going, I’ll see you fucker.” Before Percy left, he kicked him hard in the shins. On his way out from underneath the tree, he looked back, and Nico liked to imagine he was looking back in regret or was going to caress his face and say ‘I'm sorry’. But he just sneered and turned back. Like he had done for the past 4 years. And Nico turned back to his notebook, laying peacefully away from the carnage. He grabbed it, making sure no stray blood touched the cover page. He sat back, watching the sun filter through the trees leaves, letting his tears fill the rest of the shaded lines with their somber colors.

Thus begins our story. It's only the beginning of the story, and introductions are just...


	2. Fucked Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, another short chapter. I'll try and make them longer... Oh wait, I already did :3
> 
> I'm trying to write super ahead of time so that I can flesh out every detail, so if things seem choppy, that's because not enough character given yet to these already characterized characters :P
> 
> Enjoy!

The tree stood there, looming over a patch of dirt and grass. It never got too dirty or wet, just nice, crumbly dirt you could lie on and not worry about sticking to clothing. The shade it kept in the summer and the snow kept from falling in the winter made it the ideal spot for Nico. His paling skin could only handle so much heat, and he lost most color from summer tans during the fall. His curled form could usually be seen by many who walked the hidden path to the tree, most thinking it was a homeless boy in the shade or if they know him, a loner no one enjoyed talking to.

Nico once again tried hard not to stand out like a sore thumb, averting glances with others and focusing on his art, or photography. Photos usually consisted of others and their loved ones in the park, holding each other, playing fetch, conversing over some coffee. It was melancholic for Nico, and he held no grudge against any of them for his lack of happiness. The Saturday sun filtered through the leaves of the tree, his back against it, shielded from anything behind.

“Nico! What’s up?” Percy’s happy go lucky facade could be heard a mile behind, yet he didn't stand up to run away, or call for help. No one would believe the younger male, nor would anyone get the older male in trouble. Besides, who would even help the young Italian anyway?

“The sky. And hey, Percy.” Nico looked behind himself only to get shoved to the ground by a foot to the chest. All the air pushed out of his body and he almost couldn't breathe. The foot released him and the body connected to the foot started laughing.

“Oh my gods, the face you made before you fell back! Priceless! I want to take a picture of that moment and frame it, ha!” Nico half heartedly muttered to himself, grumbling about dirt while Percy wiped legitimate tears from his eyes. Such was a day for Nico where he gets made fun of. Suddenly, Nico was once again at his feet, someone’s hands on his shoulders. Percy leaned into him, sneering menacingly.

“I hope you’re ready for your beating today.” Nico shivered once more, trying to escape the grasp of his attacker.

“Just… why in public today? Why not in private?” Their private place consisted of a dead patch of grass near a river Nico remembered all too well.

“I'm feeling risky. Aren't you? C’mon, I'll even give you a little kiss for motivation, faggot.” Kisses for this type of motivation were the one thing Nico hated, because he had loved getting kissed in the past by his mother, when she was... Not like this.

Lips brushed against Nico and he gagged on reflex. He didn't want to feel these lips on his if they didn't like him back. Percy didn't like that response as he kissed him out of spite, making sure he didn't move away with a hand behind his head. Nico started moving around, making a struggled noise. A tongue entered his lips, scoping the landscape and violating him. He couldn’t fight the stronger boy, all he could do was wiggle his way out.

Finally, it ended. Percy teared his lips away while Nico shook all over. His first kiss gone in a flash. Teared away from him in a snap of a finger, with mouth rape.

“Bet you liked that, faggot. I'm sure going to use some bleach when I get home to wash out that disgusting pomegranate taste. As if I'd ever want you.” Percy wouldn't stop abusing him with each word hitting him in the depths of his stomach, the whisper sounding like a shout so close to his ear. “I’m going to fuck you up so bad, no one will hear your-” 

“Percy?” A new person had arrived on the scene, wearing a baseball cap, a t-shirt and some long jeans. Her blonde hair fell out of the cap in long strands, complimenting her gray eyes. It was Annabeth Chase, Percy’s best friend.

School’s smartest girl, she was the said to be valedictorian for next year. Her GPA and social status were off the charts, as with her amazing looks which swooned Percy for two years, until an untimely break up. She didn't think much of anything besides her friends, family, and school, which made her a bit cold at first glance. Underneath, she was really nice. And surprised at the fact that her best friend was kissing a random boy under a tree.

“Were you kissing him?” Her earbuds were out of her ear now, able to clearly hear the conversation.

“Um, well…” Percy couldn't say no more as she walked towards him and hugged him, rooting him in place. Nico stood by, scared of the aforementioned scholar.

“Fucking finally. I thought you were always going to stay halfway out of the closet with your bisexuality, but I guess not. I knew you were possibly meeting someone behind the scenes. I’m happy for you.” Percy stood dumbly and while being now rubbed in circles on the back by Annabeth, thought over what he could say to escape the conundrum.

Annabeth finally focused in on Nico, who had been trying to collect his stuff as quickly and quietly as possible. “Hold on, wait a minute, I don't even know your name. Who are you?”

Nico didn't want to turn around, but it was either turn around and say hi or run and face Percy’s punches later.

“Hello, I'm Nico Di Angelo.” His voice would not raise above a meek greeting.

“So your Percy’s boyfriend? I can see why he would like you. You’re exactly what I thought his type would be.” So she thought Percy liked dark haired losers with no friends? How saddening. But he sure as hell was not Percy’s boyfriend.

“Percy, why didn't you tell me? Didn't want the school to notice?” Percy looked between Nico and Annabeth, trying hard to keep a neutral face under his overall terror.

“Of course I- yeah, yeah! This is my boyfriend, Nico Di Angelo. He’s the best thing to happen to me.” Nico couldn't breathe. He didn't want to. No way in a million years could Percy be lying to Annabeth about being his boyfriend. An arm snaked its way around his waist and pulled him closer to Percy. A head rested itself on his own, making an indent just for itself. He wanted to shake it off, but he was still shocked from the sudden outburst that _Percy Jackson was pretending to like him._

“This is pretty grand, Percy. I support you all the way, but I'm just sorry I had to find out this way. I was on my afternoon walk and I decided a different path today when I saw you two pushed up against a tree… y’know, being a couple.” Annabeth was looking back and forth between them and Nico slumped downwards. Annabeth only got there in time for the kiss, not the kick. How lucky of Nico.

“It’s fine, Wise Girl. I didn't want to tell you about it since Nico here is a bit shy about his sexuality. I have to take care of his feelings, he’s a sensitive dude.” Percy clapped a hand on Nico’s back and Nico had to bite his tongue not to scream in pain. The spot Percy just hit was a favorite to arm twists and popping out arm sockets.

“So Nico, are you from around here?” Annabeth was looking at him with her lovely grey eyes, still not picking up on the tense atmosphere.

“I go to your high school, Annabeth… For the past 2 years…” Annabeth’s face took on a look of surprise before propelling herself towards the smaller boy.

“Really? I never noticed you. So, you want to sit with us at lunch? You want to join the forensics club, we could always use new members. And, Percy and I have tons of friends you could-”

Percy interrupted her frenzied talk with a statement of his own. “Stop trying to recruit people into forensics club, no one is going to besides you and other smartypants. Nico doesn't really enjoy social interactions either, so I'm not sure he would like it. Maybe you can ease him into our friends, Wise Girl.” Annabeth nodded seriously and turned to stare back at Nico.

“How long have you two been dating, before I showed up? Wait a moment... am I assuming? I know you said you’re dating but you might be trying to cover up for Nico’s sake…” Nico’s eyes widened in relief as Annabeth looked back and forth between the two once more, this time curious. Finally, he wouldn't have to be subjected to…

“No, he’s my boyfriend. About 3 months after you left me, I decided to start looking around for people to date. Remember when I tried dating Rachel? Huge mess, right? And I found out I liked guys when I began looking at my teammates differently, so I went to the park to cool off. There I found Nico, who was such a kindred spirit. Want to finish the story, Neeks?” Nico shot his head back at Percy, whose grip on his shoulder was getting immensely tighter.

“A-ah, yeah! Yeah! I was drawing a picture of the water when I saw Percy, and he sat next to me. He-” The bad memory fresh in his head, he decided to alter a few details. “He looked at my drawing and said it was amazing. I hadn't been given a compliment about my art, so I broke down. He helped me a lot through it. Sadly, t-the drawing I made fell into the water, and he tried to fish it out by jumping in. I thought it was nice.” Percy glared at Nico, giving him a stare that signified he would pay for making him look like a buffoon.

“That’s nice. No wonder when I called you one day and you were soaked in your clothes, Seaweed Brain. So, it’s been about a few months?

“Y-yes.”

“Okay, well, I'm sorry for intruding and I will make sure to notice you at school, Nico. Maybe we can talk a bit more. See you, Percy.” The academic girl went back on her way on the trail, leaving the “couple” behind. 

Nico was trembling in his non existent boots because he just told someone he didn't even know well he was dating his fucking enemy. Nico turned to look at Percy, who for whatever reason was now deep in thought. After a few moments, Percy let go of Nico and stared him straight in the eye, green eyes filled with anger.

“Annabeth should not have fucking been here. Damn it.” Percy was eyeing up Nico the way a predator eyes up a prey.

“Okay, listen real fucking close, Di Angelo. You are going to be my boyfriend. We’ll act all couple like and shit for about a year, and then we break up.” Nico was baffled to say the least with this incredulous plan.

“B-but why not break up now?” Percy slapped him upside the head hard and got close to his face, voice seethingly low.

“Are you fucking stupid? We are not going to break up just yet! It’s been 7 months since our fucking imaginary meetup! If we break up just after Annabeth meets you, she would get suspicious, and think we weren't dating in the first place! Then she would tell all my friends! And I'm not losing my friends to some emo looking motherfucker with bags the size of backpacks under his eyes! Okay?” Nico was slowly nodding his head, tears dribbling off his face.

“Good. Now, let’s go over something brief. This year will not be filled with me beating your worthless ass, if you keep up the act. I'll treat you like an actual boyfriend in front of my friends, as long as you don't get too fucking close to me and start kissing me on whims. I will tear you limb from limb for that, okay? It’s October, right? We will go until December next year and break up then. Are you getting this through your skull?” Nico, listening with a horrified expression on his face, nodded his head violently.

“Good, we start tomorrow. I'll see you then, Di Angelo.” And that's when Percy punched Nico in the stomach for the last time of the day. Nico doubled over and lay in front of his favorite tree in pain. The crumbly dirt didn't stick to his clothing, and the shade was perfect.

Nico had gotten his wish, but not in the way he expected or wanted. He was too shocked during the others talk to even reply. All Nico knew from that speech was that this time with Percy, the entire year of dating him, was going to be extremely…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Leave a comment if you know why I did the ending like I did the last time ;)


	3. All Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a while, dear god...
> 
> Well, here is something to tide you guys over! I have decided that for now, two stories is enough to keep me occupied. I will continue on with Empathetic, and this story, well, yeah :/
> 
> Enjoy and comment down below!
> 
> P.S Remember to guess why the title is as it is!

_Listen real fucking close, Di Angelo. You are going to be my boyfriend._

“AH!” The small, black haired teenager rolled out of bed and onto the floor, unsure where he was. He rolled on his back and looked at the ceiling, seeing nothing but black. *Oh yeah, I'm in my bedroom.* Nico pondered. He reached up to grab his phone and looked at the time and date. 

4:43 October 13th, 20XX.

Now Nico really didn't want to get off of the floor and stand up because he knew what happened the day before wasn't a dream. It was all very real, and that he was dating Percy Jackson.

Those foreign words struck his tongue in a peculiar way, as if imaginary. He thought he would be happy dating Percy. Not like this. Not fake, so that Percy could keep his friends and Nico wouldn't get beat up. It made everything stressful, so much that Nico didn't know if he should just end it right there.

He glanced at his arms, the pale sticks covered in small nicks and long scars. He had been through so much, but this seemed so impossible. An act for a year? Dating someone who didn't love him? The thoughts weighed him down one by one, each becoming grimmer and grimmer. 

Maybe it would be easier if...

 _*No, I have to do this. Mama and Bianca would hate me if I died.*_ Nico’s psyche had been broken enough by their deaths, but he would not let it get to him. He barreled through 4 years with Percy, he could survive another year. 

Before Percy left the day before, he gave Nico a note whilst writhing on the floor. “Make sure you go to this address tomorrow. I'll see you then.” Nico grabbed the slip of paper off his desk and stared at it, unsure and very scared. He passed by it the day before. It was Percy’s house address. 

Nico closed his eyes, sighed heavily, and went to go look for some clothes.

* * *

Nico looked up at the looming house only two blocks from his shitty abode. The nondescript residence had nothing but a lawn, a tree, a garden, and a mailbox. The driveway wasn't occupied by any cars, so Nico strolled up it to get to the front door. The mat below his small feet had the words “Welcome” on them, as if he was a guest about to eat dinner with the owners of the house.

Nico knocked twice on the door. He checked his pants for his phone and wallet, making sure to look presentable and have everything on hand. The door suddenly opened and Nico’s eyes widened. 

A lady with graying brown hair opened the door and smiled once she saw him. Her face wasn’t leathery but had a soft look to it. Her eyes were a warm chocolate color that made Nico think of s’mores and cookies. She smelled like different sorts of candies and had a work outfit on, with the nameplate “Sally” embroidered into the front pocket.

“Hello, who might you be?” Her voice was an energetic one, very complimentary to her appearance. She looked at him with a complacent look, as if she wasn't in any hurry.

“Um, I'm Nico Di Angelo, does Percy Jackson by chance live here? I'm supposed to…” He didn't finish his sentence before she beamed and ushered him inside with a surprisingly firm grip.

“Oh my, Percy always has people visit, but I've never seen you before! It’s always a pleasure to meet someone my son knows. Are you one of his new friends? I'll go get you a glass of water, okay?” Without letting Nico have a sliver of speech, Sally rushed out to the kitchen only to emerge 10 seconds later with a glass of water.

“I'll go call Percy over. I was just about to go to work at my candy shop before you came, but it’s okay. I can arrive any time I want since I own the place, you know what I mean?” Nico felt that this women could have never given birth to such an abusive child, her attitude was full of love and attention. She walked up a set of stairs and disappeared at the top. After a few tense moments of Nico sipping his glass of water, she came down running with a half dressed Percy. And by half dressed, his shirt was not on. 

Fantastic way to start off a day.

“Hey Percy, I’ll be gone, okay? Your friend is already here! Why didn’t you tell me about him, dear?” Percy paused for a moment, still disoriented from the run, focused in on Nico. Immediately, he grinned and looked at his mom.

“Oh mom, this is my new boyfriend! Nico, meet my mom, Sally Jackson. She already got you a _glass of water, hmm_.” Nico did not like the emphasis put on the last four words, not one bit.

Sally’s jaw dropped to the floor and she looked back at Nico with a new light in her eyes. “Oh, you got a boyfriend? This is so great! I never thought you would date again after you broke up with Annabeth, Percy… Oh, well, you two be safe. I feel more comfortable leaving my junior baby with a…”

“Sophomore.”

“Sophomore like you, dear. You look like a good influence. See you later, you guys!” With that, Sally walked out the door and into her car, driving off to her candy shop. Percy walked up to the door to wave her off, then shut it slowly and meticulously, making sure Nico caught his every movement. He twisted the locks on the door to keep it shut, each click further creating anxiety for Nico. Percy finally pivoted back in Nico’s direction.

“Well, faggot, guess I have to tell you why you are here. We are going to have a talk.” Nico mustered up enough breath to stumble out enough to say one sentence.

“W-what are we talking about?” Percy put up his hands in the air in a mock question.

“I don’t know. Let’s play Twenty Questions.” Nico nodded and stayed standing while Percy sauntered over one of the two couches so he could sit on it. When Percy noticed Nico still standing, he grumbled incoherently.

“Hey faggot, you could sit down, you know that? On the other couch, mind you.” Nico stumbled over himself trying to get to the couch as quick as possible, sullenly regretting ever coming over.

“So, when is your birthday?” Huh?

“Um, January 28th? When.. is yours?”

“August 18th. Your turn.” Nico was feeling extremely awkward while Percy sat back, his shirtless form stretching itself across the leather exterior of the sofa. Nico didn’t know what to ask.

“Um… favorite color?” Percy rolled his eyes in an annoyed manner.

“If you’re going to ask the most basic fucking questions like a boring ass greeting card, I’ll say them all. And blue, like water. I’m guessing yours is black.” Nico nodded, looking self consciously at his attire.

“Well, my turn. What are some of your favorite hobbies, besides being such an easy target.” Nico flinched whilst Percy smirked, his face smug.

“I like to draw, read, play video games, and not get beaten up by swimmer pricks.” Nico jabbed at Percy with malice. Percy just shrugged and stared back at Nico with an unimpressed glare.

“Well, my interests are pretty much different than yours. I like to swim, socialize, and I hate people named Nico.” 

“Well, you suck.” Percy crossed his arms with a finality.

“Okay, look.” Percy sat up and put his hands on his lap. “I don’t like you, you like me, and Annabeth saw me and you kiss. I fucked up and told her you and I were dating. So I’m trying to get to know you so we can make this look legit, okay?”

“But I don’t understand why for a year and two months!” Nico’s voice raised an octave when he emphasized the words. “Like, it doesn’t have to be that long! Annabeth isn’t a fucking elephant and won’t start getting suspicious.”

“You calling my friend an elephant?” Percy began to stand, an angry expression fixated upon his face. Nico curled in upon himself and began backtracking, fears washing upon him.

“No, no! Not like that! I meant she remembers a lot! Please!” Nico was scared now and he didn’t have anywhere to go. He was going to get beat up by a sadistic bastard in his house on a shitty sofa, then have to go and date him for over a year. Nico didn’t know why he was being punished so horribly.

All of a sudden, a hand appeared on his lap. Nico peered up from his position to see Percy staring down at him, face emotionless. His green eyes were hauntingly beautiful, as if someone found the most beautiful sea colored gems they could find and replaced Percy’s eyes with them. His hand was slowly rubbing along Nico’s leg, totally out of character.

“Look, I’ve fucked up trust with Annabeth before. I-- Ugh, I fucked up her relationship with a guy she liked and he died. He was a horrible dude, but she treated him like family. I felt so bad I wanted to make it up to her by dating her. Who knew after two years the guilt would be so much. So I stopped. Around me, she’s always on edge. She never forgets. So I need to do this so I won’t lose her again.” Percy’s eyes kept still for a moment, lost in memory. Nico looked back up at the monster who beat him up so many times before, and actually felt a sliver of pity for him. Then Percy focused again, eyes turning back to normal.

“So faggot, that’s why I’m doing this for so long. Not for your ass, but for mine. I need to have Annabeth like me still. So, tell me your shit.” The hand was removed from his leg and Percy sat back down with a heaving sigh. Nico fiddled with his shirt, shook his nerves off, and told his story. He tried to skimp out on some of the more painful details, but it never worked. Percy could always tell when he was lied to.

Nico told him how he moved to the US when he was six, and didn’t know a word of English. He was put into an international school in New York City and taught everything he needed to know. His sister, mother, and American born father all lived together with him in an apartment complex, trying to stay low. 

Then, his mother was killed. She was an illegal immigrant from Italy, as was her kids. She was killed by a police officer, who was sent by a chief of police with the codename of Zeus. The kids and father escaped, and they all decided to move to Las Vegas, Nevada. There, the father struck rich collecting the bodies of dead people that were cheaters. He became notorious with the underground gambling league and earned the nickname “Hades”. He resented the name because it reminded him too much of his dead wife and the killer. 

The family after a year in Las Vegas moved all the way to Maine to recuperate and then New York again because since Hades was rich now, he decided to go into lawyering to catch the bastard who killed his wife and put him to jail. The kids were left alone, and pretty much abandoned by that point.

Nico used to be a happy-ish kid with Percy’s bullying before another tragedy struck his family. On a field trip with her all girls high school, Bianca picked up an interesting looking rock that looked oddly like a Mythomagic figurine only for it to unleash an avalanche which she would never escape from. Nico mourned her death, becoming increasingly depressed and wishing how he was the one that should have died. Now he had no one, and no one wanted him. His father was still preoccupied with law school and people ignored the hell out of him.

Drawing and reading gave him comfort however. Drawing helped him release tension and let him become creative, letting him recreate pictures of happy people in the hope if he drew long enough, this fantasy happiness would appear to him. Reading teleported him into new realms and different areas where he was a different person, one of worth and someone who he could look up to, because in reality all he was was a failure in his eyes.

Percy throughout the entire story stayed quiet albeit for a few parts, making fun of him for this and trying in his best ability to look sad at the news of death. Finally, when Nico was done with his entire speech, Percy spoke.

“What a story. I did not expect you to go that much into detail. Well, let’s move on.” Nico’s eyes bulged out and he burst out in confusion.

“Wait, what about you? What’s your story?” Percy paused and looked back at Nico.

“If you hadn’t gone all novel on me and told me your fucking tale of woe and arm cutting I would have been able to talk. Now we only have time for this.”

“I never mentioned arm cutting! And time for what?” Percy stood up and cracked his back, then began walking towards Nico.

“This.” Percy fell atop of Nico and he cried out in indignation, the warm body of Percy Jackson slowly crushing him with its immense weight. Percy readjusted himself so that Nico and him were staring each other in the face. Nico began beating his fists against Percy’s back, trying to get him off of Nico.

“What the fuck is this! Why are you lying on top of me? Stop right now or I’ll--”

“Keep being fucking useless and beating my back with those Sock ‘Em balloons you call fists?”

“I fucking hate you, Percy! Get the--” Nico was cut off untimely by the feeling of Percy’s lips attaching with his.

Wait, what.

Percy.

Kissing.

Nico.

That’s when Nico really lost his shit. He began thrashing around, trying to get Percy off of him so that he could scream how much of a fucking dick he was, all the anger from over the years released after just telling him his life story. But Percy didn’t budge. The grip on Nico’s hips tightened and as much as he tried to not let it happen, Percy kept at it with his kiss. Percy disconnected his lips from Nico, his head craning a little bit to the left in thought.

“Tilt your head up.”

“FUCK YOU! What was that?!””

“Huh? You mean this? Yeah, well, if we are going to be a believable couple, I need to kiss you sometimes. So why not practice it? Now tilt your head up and open your mouth faggot, you need lots of practice with frenching, cause I like french kissing.”

“NO!” Percy grunted unhappily and pulled Nico’s chin up with his hand and proceeded to force open the smaller boy’s lip with his tongue. Now, if you didn’t know, the human tongue is the strongest muscle in the body, stronger than lip muscles. So when Percy had the determination to force open the lips, he did. He pried the lips of Nico and dived inside. Nico wanted to bite down hard on the unwanted intruder but feared he would make Percy really angry or he would bite himself. He more or less stopped struggling, but still beat the older boy on the back with his fists. His useless whimpers were the only thing that sounded through the otherwise empty house.

Once Percy took over, everything went a little more smoothly, with some bumps in the road. Every time Nico messed up or did something that was a bit off, Percy pinched his side and he yelped, widening the mouth and letting Percy explore a bit more. Nico tried to push back Percy’s tongue at some times, but Percy’s was much stronger than his, so all he could do was weakly nudge at the muscle before being shoved backwards with immense force. Finally, the two boys couldn’t breathe without taking a huge breath and detached from each other, both panting from exhaustion.

“You… need to work… a bit harder there…”

“Fuck… you Percy… I hate you.”

“Me too, faggot. Now… ah, now we are good. Come over tomorrow and we will do the exact same thing. And don’t get hard, it’s disgusting.” Nico stared down at his pants and saw a rather large bulge appear in front of his eyes. He blushed hard and tried to cover it up. “And get out of my house, thanks.” Nico rolled his eyes.

“Wow, Percy Jackson saying thank you? What a weird world we live in…”

“Yeah, it’s weird because I’m not beating your ass for that comment. I’m giving you ten seconds-” Before he could even finish his sentence, Nico was out the door and walking away.

Nico now knew that this was not a joke and that he was in for a really bad year. Apparently, Percy really wanted to keep Annabeth as a friend, something he couldn’t relate to and didn’t understand why. And to do that, Nico thought as he walked inside of his house, Percy would rather put up a convincing act then tell his friend the truth. Percy was crazy trying to save his relationship by going...


	4. Upsides

Nico did go back the next day, and Percy did tell him his story. What he didn’t say would happen is that this story was extremely condensed and gave almost nothing content wise as to who was who and when everything happened. All he got to know was that Percy’s father died and that now he lives with his mom all alone.

 

“You lied to me!”

 

“When did I lie? I told you I wasn’t going to be like you and turn it into a novel.” Nico almost jumped Percy then and choked him out if it wasn’t for him getting jumped and kissed out of nowhere. He expected this to happen anyway, so he controlled himself and listened to Percy’s advice. Over the next few days, their routine would consist of a little trivia challenge and more kissing, plus some other things such as outside behavior around each other.

 

“What do you mean I can’t hug you in public?”

 

“We are not a public couple, we are a closet couple, remember? You’re in the closet in real life anyway. Only Annabeth and probably all my friends by now know about you. I’m sure you haven’t told any of your friends, considering they don’t exist.”

 

“Fuck you. And what do you mean by “all your friends”?”

 

“All my close friends that I hang out with Annabeth around. She doesn’t exactly keep her words vague when it comes to past lovers anyway.”

 

“So, a bunch of high schoolers that are probably really popular and have a lot of influence over how my high school experience will go know that I am gay?” Nico fell back onto Percy’s bed, hands in his face. “KIll me now.”

 

“No, you still need to be my boyfriend. And I am sure you know enough about me. What’s my favorite movie?”

 

“The Little Mermaid, you pansy.” Nico giggled a bit before groaning in pain at being punched in the gut.

 

“Faggot, did I ask for your opinion? How many schools have I gone to over the past few years?”

 

“You’ve been to too many to count.”

 

“When did I go to the Grand Canyon?”

 

“When you were 13 with Annabeth and Thalia, and you almost fell over the railing from laughing too hard at a joke.”

 

“Okay, here’s a trick one. Do I love you?”

 

“Yes, with all your might and heart.” Nico’s gut twisted in knots at the sound of that lie, with Percy grunting in agreement.

 

“You bet your ass I do. Now stop lying on my bed like a mangy dog, I have to sleep there.” Percy kicked Nico off the bed, and as Nico fell to the floor, he could almost see himself surviving this year.

* * *

Nico walked to school alone, his mind racing around in circles like a car on a racetrack. The thing on his mind looped over and over; _Don’t fuck this up, don’t fuck this up_. He couldn’t help but feel a certain sort of apprehension towards every choice he was making today, such as which cereal to eat or what pair of socks he should wear. It scared him to no end how much he was worrying about a fake relationship with someone who was essentially his mortal enemy, who he should not give a fuck about. But he did, he liked him and he was going along with it. It was going to be fine.

 

Nico arrived at Athens High School, the back of his neck sweaty. He entered the front gates and almost as soon as he walked in, he was whisked away by a strong grip.

 

“Ahh- mph!” His scream was muffled by a hand covering his face and he knew who it was already. He bit down on the hand and looked furiously behind himself to see a green eyed boy rub his hands.

 

“Fuck you, Jackson! Why did you do that?” Percy rolled his eyes at the smaller boy and smacked him harshly upside the head. 

 

“If you don’t remember, dipshit, I told you to meet me here 3 minutes ago. Why are you so late?” 

 

“I’m late because there was a traffic incident up on 12th Street and it got backed up. I can’t control time, so cut me some slack.”

 

“Oh, I’ll cut something up alright… maybe I’ll cut off a few of your fingers, how about that?” Nico cringed and grasped his fingers as if Percy’s glare could do that to him.

 

“What are we gonna do now, huh? I thought you had class.” Since Percy wanted to get into a college when he graduated, he decided that his junior year he would take an earlier class and get it over with for extra credits.

 

“Well, I did, but today I knew the teacher would let us out early because she usually does this today in her morning class. Anyway, I’m grabbing you so you can talk to my friends.” What? That was not a part of the plan Nico had in mind.

 

“Already? I thought you said Annabeth only might have told them?”

 

“Well, I got 3 texts today all saying they want to meet my mysterious lover, so I’m guessing Wise Girl opened her big lips already. Let’s go over to my regular spot, we meet in an empty classroom near the Arena.” The Arena was an indoor pavilion towards the back of the school that everyone went to for lunch or classes. It was the newest part of the school and most of the classrooms were used for storage. Nico could imagine some kids getting keys to a secluded area so that they could hang out and do drugs or have sex.

 

Percy and Nico hauled their bags and themselves all the way over to the back of the school, while being bombarded with hi’s and hello’s from other early people, all aimed towards Percy. No one looked at Nico, who was behind the swimmer the entire time and had some of those people who said hi in his class. He sunk his head and looked to the floor, now not wanting any attention anymore.

 

They arrived at their destination about 30 minutes before the bell for first period rang. The place was deserted albeit for one lit classroom in the far left. Percy grabbed Nico’s hand and walked him over to the classroom.

 

“Alright, faggot. These are my friends. Don’t make me look like a fool or some sort of dumbass. Their names are Grover, Silena, Beckendorf, Will, Rachel, Jason, Piper, Leo, Reyna, Frank, Hazel, and Annabeth. I will fucking _murder_ you if you do anything out of line. Got that?” Nico, his eyes wide from the use of the word murder, stiffly nodded his head and tried to relax. It wouldn’t be hard, he thought to himself. It was just a bunch of people who would most likely not enjoy his company and he could just stay quiet and not been noticed.

 

“Okay, see if you can keep up.” Percy walked to the door and opened it with a key he procured from his back pocket. As soon as he opened the door, a myriad of voices rang out at the same time. 

 

“Percy!”

 

“Fucking finally…”

 

“ _Amigo!_ Where’s your little _amante_? I want to see them, maybe they’re as ugly as you.”

 

“Bro, we’ve been waiting for you! Where is your new plus one?”

 

All of them were talking to Percy, a few already mentioning Nico. It startled the small Italian, not expecting them to be so open about it. Maybe they didn’t know the gender yet and thought it was a pretty girl. It wouldn't faze Nico that much, he hoped.

 

“Shut up, Leo. You’re uglier than someone who’s been kicked in the face by a donkey. And Jason, I have them right here with me. Guys, say hello to Nico.” Percy elbowed Nico harshly and he rushed into the spotlight of the doorframe, and saw a bunch of eyes staring back at him.

 

“Well, at least he ain't ugly.” An impish looking Hispanic dude was sitting on a desk, fiddling with some sort of mechanical object while a light skinned girl with choppy brown hair had her hand around his shoulders.

 

“Yeah, he looks good. A bit skinny, but that might be all the big clothes on him.” A red haired girl was lying atop some boxes upside down, perched up high in the air. Her clothing was very colorful and she had a really big smile.

 

“Well, you want to introduce yourself or are you going to let the peanut gallery continue to pick on you?” He didn't even need to bat an eye at who said that. It was Jason Grace, number one football player and in almost all his classes for the past 2 years. His gold rimmed glasses hangs precariously off his nose, bridging itself between his blue eyes. Nico sighed and looked up with a slight smile.

 

“Hey guys, my name’s Nico Di Angelo. You can just call me Nico. I'm not sure how much Percy’s told you guys about me, but if it’s anything bad, it’s a lie.” Nico laughed a bit only to shuffle backwards awkwardly when no one answered. Off to a great start.

 

“Percy’s never mentioned you before. He’s never given off the vibe of being in a new relationship.” Now a very pretty girl in a cheerleader’s outfit was talking to him, and it was making him nervous. The quiet was making him nervous too.

 

“W-well, I'm not out, per say, so he kept this on the down low. Once Annabeth found out, I'm sure she told you some things.”

 

“Ah, I see. Now can I ask you a question?”

 

“S-sure.”

 

“Why-- Have you sucked his dick yet?!” 

 

The entire room atmosphere seemed to suddenly grow lighter as everyone laughed at the joke made by the impish Hispanic, who was getting pushed off the desk by the choppy haired girl.

 

“You’re so immature, Leo! Just look at what you did to Nico!” Nico’s face was a bright shade of red and he was trying to hide himself in his jacket. Percy was leaning against the wall, coughing from laughing too much. He couldn't believe the amount of attention Nico was getting, and how utterly funny it was.

 

“I'm sorry dude, no need to look like I insulted you.” Nico looked back over at Leo, who was on the floor trying to get back on his feet.

 

“Ah, it’s okay. It was funny.” Nico had gone back to his shy nature, trying hard not to look directly in the other’s eye. “I should take jokes less seriously. And to tell you the truth... not yet.” 

 

Percy’s eyes widened as all the dudes catcalled while most of the girls giggled in unison at Nico. An African-American girl with curly hair and golden eyes came up to Nico and put her hand out for him to shake.

 

“Well, Nico, I like you. You seem to be pretty down to earth. My name’s Hazel. I can tell we will be good friends.” Friend?

 

Nico hadn't had a friend since he moved from Las Vegas. This was something from the past that he hadn't experienced in a long time. He grabbed her hand and slowly shook it up and down. Suddenly an arm was being wrapped around his shoulder. Nico looked up to see Jason staring down at him with a smile.

 

“Any girlfriend or boyfriend of Percy is a friend of mine. You don't mind hugs, do you? Cause I’m a huge hugger.” Nico shook his head in a totally not desperate way.

 

“I-I love hugs, but you don't have to if you don't want to…” One of the many things that Nico hoped to get out of a relationship was mostly cuddling and hugs, because that extra closeness would probably feel really nice and from the pictures he saw, everyone who was involved looked happy. He was always hugged when his sister would comfort him on a bad day or his mom got him from work, so he associated it with good memories.

 

The blond jock didn't shy away from giving him an enormous bear hug. His strong arms interconnected at the back, bringing Nico even closer to Jason. Nico could smell faint hints of soap and fresh air on Jason, which made him want to stay even more in his grasp. He intended to returned the favor for only a split second, but Jason elongated the hug so that if Nico tried to let go, he would be seen with his arms drooping awkwardly. Suddenly Percy, who had been all but forgotten in the Nico fiasco, decided to speak up.

 

“Hey Jason, I hope you don't try stealing my boyfriend, you hear? He’s mine.” Percy tried to grab Nico, but Jason sidestepped and sat down, pulling Nico onto his lap. Nico blushed while the rest of the group watched in interest.

 

“Can't I just borrow him? He’s cute, and I like how he’s all flustered and the way he smells.” Jason was being stubborn and confusing. And when was Nico ever cute?

 

“Cute?” Jason laughed and let him go finally, pushing him into Percy’s awaiting arms. Percy wrapped his arms around Nico and his hug felt more like a trap, not saying Nico didn't enjoy the contact.

 

“Yeah, well, if you didn't know, I'm bi. And let me say that if you weren't dating Percy, I would totally take you out for dinner.” Jason leaned back as he watched Nico’s facial expressions go berserk.

 

“Oh, wow… I did not expect that.” Nico didn't think that Percy would be friends with a dude who likes other dudes, but I guess it was just that he didn't like Nico, or someone who just doesn't enjoy the other sex entirely.

 

“Yeah, and I'm gay as well. Plus Rachel.” The blonde dude in the corner spoke up and Nico was left at a loss for words. So why did Percy hate him? It wasn't his sexuality, then what was it?

 

“Isn't this a great day for everyone to come out for Percy? I'm so happy for you guys!” The pretty girl in the cheer leading outfit was smiling widely as her giant boyfriend held her close.

 

**_Bring!!!!!_ **

 

“The bell already? Let's go, you guys.” Everyone grabbed their stuff and left the classroom one by one, each saying goodbye to Percy and Nico. At the end was the cheerleader, who spoke up to Nico.

 

“Hi there, I'm Silena. I never got around to my question because of the local idiot, am I right?” 

 

“Yes, I remember. What were you going to ask?”

 

“Well, why did you look so scared when you first came in? Did you think we were going to make fun of you?” Nico looked towards Percy and back at her warily.

 

“A little. I haven't made many friends and being introduced to others friends makes me apprehensive. I'm sorry.”

 

“Don't be! I'll be happy to be your friend. Especially fashion friend, you need some color in your life. I'll talk to you about it later. See you Nico!” She skipped out and exited with her boyfriend away from the Arena.

 

“Well, faggot, that went better than expected. They all loved you.” Nico swiveled his head back to Percy and looked him in the eye.

 

“Did you know about their sexualities?”

 

“Yeah, of course. They are pretty cool people.” 

 

“Then-”

 

“Look, faggot. I call you faggot because you act like one and are one. And I don't like you. One bit. So drop it.” Nico bit his lip and sighed, walking towards his class inside of the building. Percy grabbed his arm and made him stop, turning him around.

 

“One last thing. Those people you just met? Don't think they are your friends because they like your personality. They are your friends because you know me. So treat them with respect. I don't want to hear how shitty you treat people once they act all buddy with you. Maybe that's why you don't have friends.” Nico nodded with a defeated expression on his face, turning towards the hall. Before he left, Percy looked around to see if anyone was there and gave Nico a light kiss on the cheek. Nico froze and touched the spot where he kissed him.

 

“It’s for safety reasons, okay? Anybody might still be here watching.” A slap to the same spot followed after that. Nico flew back into some tables and cried out.

 

“What the fuck was that for?”

 

“Safety reasons.” Percy strolled off in a different direction, head held high and his hands in pocket. 

 

Nico brushed off some imaginary dust and smiled slightly to himself. He had made a new friend and got called cute by a really hot dude. And even if he got brutally slapped afterwards, he even received a kiss by Percy. All in all, this morning was pretty much a good one. How fucked up was he that he enjoyed any of it.

 

As Nico took one step at a time with this new year, he figured that his relationship with Percy would have its low points, the downsides, but right now, this was a high point, and he would strive for all the…


	5. Happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAH. I FORGOT TO UPDATE YESTERDAY. HERE IS TWO CHAPTERS TO KEEP YOU CALM. EMPATHETIC WILL BE OUT WITH TWO NEW CHAPTERS SOMETIME IN THE NEXT MONTH. GAH.

It’s been about three weeks since Nico and Percy began “dating”, and Halloween was now right around the corner. Nico loved Halloween so much. It was one of his most favorite holidays because it was all about spirits and dead things and it was the day before Dia De Los Muertos, where you celebrate and mourn for your lost ones. Ever since his mom and sister died, he would always set up a candle and on the Day of the Dead say a soft prayer to it, making sure they felt safe wherever they were. 

 

He also fell out of the idea of going out, dressing up, and trick or treating mostly because he felt too old and it was something he would do only when he had friends in Las Vegas. Percy, however, had different ideals.

 

“Hey fag, we’re going to a costume party this weekend.” Nico was lying on his back in Percy’s room, fiddling with his pencil trying to solve a trigonometry problem. 

 

“That sounds stupid.” A heavy book flew past his head and Nico screeched like a pterodactyl, rolling off the bed and taking cover. Percy went and retrieved the book, not before smacking Nico in the face with it.

 

“It’s not stupid, Jason is hosting the party at his family’s house. I would think you’d enjoy some socializing since the only thing you pretty much talk to is my fist and the floor.” Nico peeked up from behind the bed only to see bright green eyes glaring at him. He pushed his head up and plopped it on the bed’s comforter.

 

“Look, I don’t like talking to people because they are just going to ignore me afterwards, so what’s the point?” Nico scowled in a final matter, trying to end the discussion while he still could.

 

“The point is for me and you go together. All the people from the classroom will be there and a few more, so quit whining before I make you.”

 

“But I don’t want to go! I don’t even know what I will be!” Percy groaned and lifted himself out of his chair. He opened his closet and rummaged for a few seconds, then threw a large black cloak at Nico.

 

“I bought this two days ago, you’re going as the Grim Reaper.” Nico lifted the black piece of clothing as if it was a dirty piece of underwear or a dead object, pinched in his index finger and thumb.

 

“Ha ha ha, very funny. Where’s my actual outfit?” Nico chuckled slightly before growing silent at Percy’s crossed arm stance.

 

“No, no, no. Why am I going as the Grim Reaper? I don’t even like the Grim Reaper stories much! What will you be?”

 

“I’m going to go as a Greek warrior, with a sword and shield.”

 

“What the fuck? How does that match with the theme of Grim Reaper?”

 

“It doesn't, which I enjoy fully. I wouldn't want to match with you anyway.” Nico threw his hands in the air in exasperation. 

 

“Is this because I look like I kill puppies and people?”

 

“Uh, duh.” 

 

“I hate you.”

 

“Ditto. Now get back to your math, dumbass.” Nico grumbled and glared at the stupid triangle on his paper, SOH making his brain melt. He didn't want to go as a stupid reaper, and he would tell Percy off as soon as he finished his homework.

* * *

Nico readjusted the black cloak on his body, the heavy fabric weighing him down. A large prop sword hung off his waist and dragged onto the floor. He placed the sword in the backseat and reached behind for his seatbelt, clicking it into place whilst Percy started the ignition.

 

Nico wasn't able to barter much with Percy, as the “hero of Olympus” was very set in his plans. And by very set, he was willing enough to unleash all of his monthly rage, punches and kicks included, on him. 

 

How sweet. 

 

Here they were, Percy was dressed to be seen as Poseidon’s beloved son who would rule the sea and land with a mighty fist, destroying his enemies. Meanwhile Nico was Death, hanging out in the background and picking up the leftovers. The Greek hero drove down the interstate listening to some rap while Nico stared out the window, trying hard not to look at Percy’s delicious body.

 

The swimmer boy decided to ditch his speedo for a knee length skirt and a giant chestplate that covered his entire chest. Under that, he wore a tank top and on his feet were sandals. His face was unobscured as of the moment, but in the backseat was a giant helmet with a giant feathered mohawk sticking out of it. His black hair lay a little messy and spiky up top, out of the way of his green eyes. His arms stuck out the most, a nice late summer tan and muscled biceps extremely noticeable to anyone. He looked astonishing.

 

Meanwhile, Nico had the exact opposite of that. He was garbed in his long dark robe, which still hadn’t been hemmed and dragged on the floor, plus had face paint with drawn on fake scars and baggy eyes. His eyes didn’t even matter though, because there was a mask hidden with the buying of the costume which he could wear. Nico was so covered up, Middle Eastern women would not stand a chance against him. His sword was a giant Cloud lookalike made completely by him, because he could not stand the sight of a scythe (which was brought upon by his lovely Aunt Demeter). His lore was that it was made of “Stygian iron, which could pierce the toughest armour imaginable” while in reality was manufactured using cardboard and paint. It looked badass, but then Percy had to play around with it and mock it while haphazardly making it tip over stuff in his house. No way would he be able to replace that one picture frame.

 

“Yo, faggot. When we get there, I’ll talk to everyone. Just stay in the background and look stupid.”

 

“Whatever. I don’t care what we do. Is there any way I can leave you while you do your popular boy act?”

 

“Ha, no fucking way. I’m not letting you leave my side for shit, what if you mess up our relationship with conflicting stories?” Nico rolled his eyes.

 

“Dude, you went over our fake story with me like 10 times. And fake dates. And fake sexual encounters. I get it.” Percy pulled over just a few blocks from the destination and whipped his head to the side, staring directly at Nico.

 

“Well, I’m going to go on and keep driving after this, and get this in your fucking mind. Don’t leave me alone. I will fuck you up. Have I made myself _clear?_ ” Nico nodded slowly, the anger from Percy diminishing the few stands of courage he held. Percy nodded gruffly, then continued to drive. “And if we need be, I’ll hold your stupid hand.”

 

“Oh wow, hand holding! So coupley…” Nico grumbled and slid lower into his seat, his sarcasm not boding well with Percy.

 

“Faggot ass bitch, I will cut you.”

 

“Sue me. Are we there yet?”

 

“Just about.” Percy pulled up into a parking lot and parked his car in a secluded area. Nico immediately left the car only to be blasted in the face by a blast of cold air.

 

“Oh, it’s so cold!” 

 

“Shut the fuck up, how do you think I feel, faggot? You have your cloak, it’s not exactly happy times with a costume like this!” Percy had pulled on a jacket, covering up his delicious --no, disgusting-- arms. 

 

“So, how are we going to arrive to this party? Holding hands or walking side by side?”

 

“Side by side, did you not get through your thick skull I want to barely touch you?” 

 

“Sheesh, someone’s on their period…” Percy punched Nico in the arm hard and he whimpered, the hit hurting twice as much in the cold.

 

“Fucking, I swear, I just want to pin you to the ground and beat your worthless ass up!”

 

“I know, I know.” As their bickering continued, they arrived at Jason’s house. It was a two story house, complete with Halloween lights and spooky decorations and lots of loud music. Bits of “This is Halloween” blared throughout the house, shaking the floor they stood on. The lights inside shone all the way to the outside, and random beer bottles glinted in that light.

 

“Okay, let’s go. I’m sure Jason is trying to keep everyone happy now.” Percy strode confidently towards the house, Nico still deep in thought. First ever party with a person who didn’t even like him and he was most likely going to get peer pressured into getting drunk.

 

Living the life, as they say.

 

Nico approached the daunting front door and Percy knocked. After a few moments, they opened.

 

Everything inside was a mess. The floor was littered with trash, drunk people stood to and fro, laughing and drinking and kissing and dancing and all sorts of stuff. One table was even overturned and being used for a fortress, or whatever they had that blanket over it for. A blonde Captain America stood at the doorstep, a seemingly bright light to all the chaos. 

 

“Percy! You finally came!” Jason bounded towards Percy, arms wrapping around his body. The Greek warrior returned the favor, taking the hug inside in favor of warmth over cold. Nico barely slipped past the door before they closed, lock clicking into place.

 

“Amazing, you even brought Nico! He looks so dark and foreboding in that, nice look.” Nico jumped at the sound of his name, uttered by the blond superhero now holding Percy’s jacket. Nico blushed and poked at his sword, not expecting any compliments.

 

“It’s, you know, I like black.” Percy rolled his eyes behind Jason’s back and made a hanging noose motion. Nico wanted to ignore the insult, but someone came bounding up against Percy.

 

“Hey, Percy! Look at your strong, muscled arms! Let me just wrap them around my body when you fuck me…” Jason slapped a hand over the girl’s mouth.

 

“Drew, knock it off. Percy’s has his boyfriend in front of you.”

 

“Boyfriend? I knew you were too good just for ladies… But where is the lucky fucker? All I see is this scrawny black licorice stick in front of us.” The person talking to Nico was wearing a witch outfit, accessorized with different dark colors, a witch hat and a broom. Her face was heavily caked with makeup, covering up her natural blemishes and making her look more like an Asian Barbie doll. Her long dark hair framed one eye to give her a sultry look.

 

“That is his boyfriend, Nico Di Angelo.” Drew gasped stereotypically, going an octave higher than most humans can hear.

 

“What?! But he’s so… ugly!” Nico immediately turned red and hid his hands in his cloak, trying to not let anyone see how affected he was by that statement.

 

“Drew, don’t fucking talk to Nico like that! I ought to leave right now!” Percy piped up, surprising both Nico and Drew from their facial expressions. Nico didn’t expect to get into character so quickly.

 

“Sorry, baby. I’ve been bad, punish this witch?” Drew smiled and kinkily thrust her butt out, appealing to no one in the vicinity. Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head.

 

“No, now leave Nico alone.” Drew pouted and crossed her arms.

 

“Fine! I’ll leave him alone. Want to party with me?”

 

“No. See you, Drew.” Her face scrunched up as if someone spit on her shoes and she stomped away, harshly pushing Nico out of the way.

 

“Move, you little fucking slut!” Nico scrabbled away as quickly as possible, chest aching with hurt. Death was supposed to be emotionless, yet here he was, about to cry over some irrelevant comment that wasn’t even true.

 

“I’m so sorry about her, Nico. I forgot I invited her to this party and how you being here would affect her. She’s had it bad for Percy for a while.” Jason was leaning against the wall now, Drew’s rage still imbedded in his mind.

 

“Well, nothing is going to get me to date that whore. She fucks too many guys for me to actually touch her without going to a doctor for AIDS.” Percy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, a punch bowl mere inches away from his arms.

 

“Want some punch, dude? It’s the good shit.” 

 

“Shit, you got the vodka? How strong?”

 

“Man, try it for yourself. Want some, Nico?” Nico, who had still been mulling in the corner, twisted his head to see Jason holding out a glass of punch with a smile, the innocuous glass beckoning to him.

 

“No, I’ll stay sober tonight. I got to watch Percy, after all.” Jason nodded knowingly and downed the cup, the red liquid disappearing down his gullet. He pulled back a few seconds later with an empty glass and happy smile.

 

“Can’t have innocent Nico have that alcohol, Jason. He’s too precious.” Percy smirked at him and flipped the finger in Nico’s direction while Jason refilled his glass.

 

“Still innocent? I’d thought by the 3rd week of dating you’d have him screaming in mercy at the feeling of your fat, thick, brutish…” Jason kept listing even more ludicrous adjectives before Percy stopped him with a glass of punch straight into his mouth.

 

“Now, now. I’m not just a horny motherfucker, I also care.” Jason rolled his eyes and snatched the glass out of his mouth and away from Percy, cradling it with his arms.

 

“Percy, I better not see you in a closet with Nico sucking dick at my party, please. Nico, have fun. I know you won’t do that, I’m just joking. See you!” At that note, Jason left the living room, where multiple people were still dancing and drinking to a song Nico didn’t recognize. Nico’s face would not stop being red from the implication that Nico did dirty things with Percy.

 

“Stop looking like a retarded tomato and let’s go talk to some people.” Percy elbowed him hard in the sternum and ushered him through the throng of people to find comrades to converse with. Throughout the party, they found many interesting characters, some comical and the others more in tune with reality.

 

The ones Nico remembered was saying hello again to Will dressed as a doctor, Silena and Beckendorf as Beauty and the Beast, and Rachel as the Statue of Liberty. All had nothing but warm greetings for Nico and a smile, which warmed his heart. As he finished discussing some art exhibits with Rachel, Percy excused himself to go to the restroom, leaving Nico in her care. 

 

“So anyway Nico, I was just thinking about exhibits that include a multitude of different types of paint splotch experts…”

 

“Hey Rachel! Mind if I borrow little Nico here for a moment?” That sickly sweet voice sent shivers down Nico’s spine.

 

“Um, Drew, I'm kind of busy explaining to Nico…”

 

“It won't be long, only 10 minutes!” Drew batted her eyelids and held her hands close together, imitating a pouty five year old. Rachel sighed heavily.

 

“Okay, here you go. I'll talk to you later, Nico!” Rachel walked away quickly, not wanting to converse with the witch and seemingly unable to hear Nico’s whimpers of fear.

 

“Nico, hmm? What an appropriate name for such a little bitch.” Shit, here we go again. Nico knew something like this would happen, but not this early in his relationship with Percy.

 

“He’s going to dump you, you know? I bet he doesn't even enjoy the sight of you, he’s just pity dating you. You’ll never be loved by him.” Nico already knew all of these things, yet Drew saying them aloud made him want to defend his fake relationship.

 

“You don't know anything, Drew. How would you know when you’re practically worshipping Percy, hanging off his arm and trying to seduce him?” Drew cackled, her witch outfit seeming more and more eerily complacent with her attitude.

 

“He’ll see one day. I'm a very patient girl, mind you. And while I wait, what will happen to you? Oh yeah, you are going to go back to where you came from, faggot.” The word startled Nico so much that he didn't even notice he had been backed into a corner. Drew punched him in the face and pushed him into a nearby closet, filled with coat hangers and jackets.

 

As Nico gathered his bearings, the door clicked shut and the room filled with darkness. Nico scrambled up to find a light switch, turning it on frantically. The room was actually bigger than a normal closet, with a walkway. He immediately grabbed at the door knob, jiggling desperately in terror.

 

“Let me out of here!”

 

“Should have just stayed in the closet, mind you. I'm sorry, but see you later. Maybe someone will find this closet door in this house and open it, who knows. Bye!” Drew’s voice slowly subsided, the noise level growing in decibels around it.

 

“Wait, please! Let me out! Come on!” It would have been okay for Nico if he had his phone, but no. Percy told him specifically to leave it in the car since he had no pockets on his cloak.

 

Nico slumped backwards, tears threatening to escape his eyes. “Why…” 

 

His arms instinctively wrapped around his legs and he pulled them closer, burying his head down. How fucking cliche, being stuck in a closet after a bitchy girl gets mad at you. Nico tried to push down the negative thoughts, but they wouldn't go away. 

 

_Faggot._

 

_Fucking slut._

 

_Worthless._

 

The night wore on, Nico becoming less and less hopeful anyone was going to hear his pleas for help inside the closet. The noise stayed pretty much the same level, so any thoughts of screaming were futile. Nico had switched positions so many times he could think of no more comfortable places to lie down.

 

All of a sudden, the door broke open. Nico blearily looked up, seeing a complete stranger enter his line of sight.

 

“Um, what the fuck?” Nico got up, wiped his eyes, and started towards the exit.

 

“Hey dude, what were you doing in there? The party’s almost over, I just wanted to get ahead of the crowd and grab my jacket.” Nico turned and faked a weak smile at the guy.

 

“Don't worry, someone decided it was funny if I was in a closet most of the night.” The guy looked at him with wide eyes.

 

“That sounds fucked to me. Names Travis Stoll, what is your name?”

 

“Oh, uh, Nico Di Angelo.” 

 

“Wait, you’re Nico? Shit, wait one moment.” The guy ran down a flight of stairs only for him to appear moments later with none other than Percy.

 

Percy looked furious. His hair was disheveled and his costume was unclipped in one area, as if someone had tried to undress him.

 

“Nico, where the fuck have you been? I've been looking everywhere! Drew has been trying to fuck me since midnight, what were you doing, you little…” Percy controlled his breath and glared at Nico.

 

“We are leaving.” Nico, who by this point had been standing silently with puffy red eyes nodded and followed Percy down the stairs to the front door.

 

Jason, still in his costume, was there saying goodbye to some of the guests when he noticed Nico.

 

“Nico! Oh my god, Percy has been looking everywhere for you, I thought-”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“What? Don't be sorry, but where were you?”

 

“It was D-Drew, she p-pushed me in a closet and locked me there for most of the night.” Jason’s eyes turned serious as he heard her name.

 

“I'll speak with her later. Go home, you look terrible.” Nico nodded weakly before Percy pushed him out the door.

 

The car ride home was silent, Percy’s fingers drumming the wheel in silence. Nico brooded over his experience, trying to piece everything together.

 

They got home 20 minutes later. Nico opened the door and let himself out. As soon as he closed the door, Percy rolled down the window.

 

“God you fucking faggot, can't do anything right. Can't even fight against Drew. She may be a bitch, but at least she has a backbone. You really are weak.” He shook his head and drove around the corner, out of sight. 

 

Nico shuffled inside and changed his clothes, his dad still not home yet. He placed his phone and stuff inside his room and took a shower. After he got out of the shower, he went to brush his teeth. As he went to brush his teeth, he looked up and saw something in the mirror.

 

A face looking back at him. A lonesome, pale face with black hair and brown eyes. The silky brown eyes had only one emotion in them. Grief.

 

Nico dropped his toothbrush and choked up. Tears flowed down his face, and sounds escaped his throat. A hand reached anywhere and grabbed for the nearest sharp thing, a pair of scissors used for opening new toothbrush boxes. A shaky hand pressed down and came up. Each press achieved a different area, and felt like comfort. A warm feeling held his arms there, making him feel alive and well. 

 

When he looked back down, that warm feeling was blood flowing down in a thick stream. He smiled and put the scissor away. He approached the shower and washed off the excess blood, then went and got some gauze to wrap his shame away.

 

As Nico walked towards the bed, he didn't know if he was going to wake up or not. Most likely wake up. When he did wake up, he was going to make a prayer to his mother and sister for Dia De Los Muertos and make sure they were happy. Even if they were dead, they had to at least be happy. 

 

As sleep encased him, his final thoughts before sleeping were that he did not matter. He wasn't worth it. He did not deserve...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drew's a bitch. Comment and kudos down below because yeah :/


	6. Disgusted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here is the next chapter for Masking It! Two months late...
> 
> Yeah I'm gonna try and fix it, but no promises. School caught up with me and finals ended _yesterday_ , which is so fucking stupid. Why have finals after winter break? Anyway, I'm caught up on stories and need to write some more chapters out. I'll tell you more once I get more out.
> 
> Enjoy!

“So, faggot, how has the scars been healing up?”

“S-shut up, Percy.” They were sitting in Percy’s room, doing the last of our homework before Thanksgiving Break. Nico didn't understand anything the teacher assigned me, but to BS is to finish.

“I'm just wondering, because my mom was wondering if you wanted to come to Thanksgiving with us.” Nico turned sideways, raising an eyebrow.

“Scusi?” Percy stopped what he was doing and performed his signature eye roll.

“Stop speaking Italian. And yes, my mom decided to invite you for Thanksgiving, even though we’ve only been dating for two months.”

“Eight months, according to your fucked up tall tale.”

“And it will stay tall if you don't shut the fuck up!” Nico flinched, still not used to Percy’s screams of indignation. “She wants to learn more about you and your family.”

“Do you want her to pity me?”

“I don't want them to greet you at all, but I guess I have to put up with it.” Nico turned back around, about to be once again engrossed in his science homework when he did a double take.

“Did you say “them”?”

“Yes, “them”. Me, mom, her boyfriend, and…” At this point his voice became too soft to understand.

“What did you say?” Percy groaned loudly into his English paper.

“Uggh, I said my little step brother!” Step brother? 

“You have a step brother? Why did I never learn about him?” Percy glared into the side of his desk.

“Because I like him and I don't want you anywhere near his pure nature.” Nico cooed mockingly, not able to control himself.

“Awww, Percy is possessive of his little- UGH!” In the middle of his mocking, a fist suddenly flew right into Nico’s diaphragm. He crumpled onto the bed and lay in pain.

“Never! And I mean _never_ make fun of my step brother. He doesn't deserve your shit.” Nico winced in pain, the still painful scars from Halloween stinging as he landed on said arm. He winced painfully before gazing up apologetically.

“I'm sorry, I really am.”

“Fuck you, that's what. They will get here the day before Thanksgiving, so make sure you’re here.”

“What about my family? I still have a dad, y’know?” Percy folded his arms in and tapped his foot.

“I mean, you can ask him, right? It’s not like he is going to be there for you this Thanksgiving, what with the work he has.” Nico nodded, silently hoping his father would be able to do something for him.

“I'll go ask him.”

“Good little bitch.”

“Don't call me a bitch!” Nico grumbled to himself before once again starting his science homework, all his pain being set aside for now.

* * *

Nico entered his lonely house. He placed his bag full of finished homework on the simple grey couch before walking towards his room.

“Nico.” Said boy jumped a foot into the air before calming himself down.

“Hey Dad.” Hades Di Angelo did not look like he was happy to be talking to him. His dark domineering appearance and the little scars that nicked his face would scare even the most badass of all gangsters. His tight pressed suit was surprisingly crumpled as he sat at the dining table, papers strewn in front of him. Probably midterms again.

“How are you today?”

“I won't be able to do Thanksgiving with you this year, I'm trying to finish this one paper and then I'll be going on a date.”

“A date on Thanksgiving? With who?” Hades grimaced slightly at the scrawny boy, as if he put a slice of lemon in his mouth.

“A woman named Persephone. She seems nice enough. She’s a botanist whose mother actually works for NASA as their chief botanist.” Wow, how exciting. Another lady to possibly meet once and never see again.

“Don't want to hang out with your son on Thanksgiving? How rude.” Nico joked ostensibly, his dry humor boding well with Hades.

“It’s not that. I haven't been myself since Bianca and Mar... since Mom died and I just want to have someone to be with again. It gets lonely.” Hades eyes went blank, drifting off again. Nico felt sad, knowing his dad was just trying to be happy after his life went bad.

“Anywho, I’ll probably give you money to buy Thanksgiving food, how much do you need, 30, maybe 40…”

“I'm going to spend Thanksgiving with my boyfriend.” Hades stopped his mumbling and looked his son straight in the eye. The scarily black eyes bore into Nico’s head.

“Boyfriend, hmm? And when did you get a, tsk, _boyfriend_?” A shiver went Nico’s back, Hades voice crawling uncomfortably down his spine like a spider’s legs.

“His name is Percy Jackson, sir.” Hades put down his pencil and rested his head upon his hands daintily.

“Percy Jackson, hmm? Well, I can't really fault you for having a boyfriend. I fooled around as well in high school and college. I'd like to meet him sometime.” 

Nico froze. “What?! Why?”

“Stop stuttering, boy.” Nico immediately clamped his mouth shut. “No boy of mine will date another boy who could turn out to be a hooligan or a _murderer_.” Nico nodded his head meekly. “I'll ask you again during Christmas, I'll probably be good then. One more year, Nico. That's all we need.” His dad smiled slightly and Nico smiled as well, yet with not as much genuine emotion. 

“Yes, Father.”

“I love you, Nico.” As Nico turned and walked towards his room, a desolate tear ran down his father’s face, unbeknownst to the dark haired teen.

* * *

“Nico, come in!” Nico stood at the door, unsure about being able to enter. Sally stood in front of him with a smile, looking absolutely stunning. An autumn colored layered skirt adorned her frame, as well as a beautiful red jumper, making her look like the embodiment of a tree losing it leaves, an array of orange, yellow, magenta, pink, and brown. 

Nico walked in, his dress pants still stiff with bleach. His attire consisted of a white undershirt and a black dress shirt with hints of yellow and orange peeking through, only because he used it as a tarp for his watercolor pastels the week before. He recently got a haircut so that the sides were shorter and that his top hair combed over. His sneakers were discarded as he dropped them off at the front of the door.

“Percy, Nico’s here! Hey, Nico, between you and me, Percy takes way too fucking long trying to get ready. I swear, he could be in an earthquake and sleep right through it.” Nico nodded at the grinning lady, very aware that she just swore to him. It didn’t sound right coming out of such a nice looking woman, but he would have to get used to it.

“I’m right here, mom. I would wake up during an earthquake too.” Percy emerged from the hallway wearing a light blue dress shirt and some grey jeans, which brought out the green of his eyes. He sighed and wrapped an arm around Nico, giving him a short kiss.

“Hey, babe.” The look in his eyes said anything else about Nico but “babe”. Sally squealed in excitement.

“You two are so cute! I need pictures!” Both Percy and Nico groaned.

“No, we don’t Mom! You always take 500 pictures at these type of things and print them _all_. Besides, Nico isn’t exactly photogenic.” Nico glared at Percy, who tightened his grip to warn if he tried to argue.

“Percy, I love you, but we are taking photos. You’re not getting out of this one.”

Percy grumbled to himself, sitting himself on the couch.

“Okay, Mom.” Sally smiled and went to the kitchen to check on the food while Nico sat at his own respective couch. Nico stuck his tongue out childishly.

“Ha ha, you have to take pictures.” Percy breathed in deeply and turned towards Nico.

“Each and every time you piss me off, I’m going to punch you in the arm. Got it?”

“Love you, too.” Percy crossed his arms, looking off into space.

“I’m not even sure why my mom invited you to the Thanksgiving dinner, it took two years before she warmed up to Annie. Maybe she pities you like the rest of my friends.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Nico could get behind that idea, most people didn’t like him besides Jason and Hazel. Mostly because he was weird and smelled like death. Or was it pomegranate? He couldn’t remember at the moment. Sally’s voice broke the silence that fell over the two boys.

“Oh yeah, Percy, before dinner, we were going to go into the city and buy some chocolates from that really good store. The expensive ones, you know?” Percy shot up at that, face excited like a kid on Christmas.

“Really? Can we get a bag of chocolate for some of my friends?”

“Sure, why not. We’ll even buy a bag for Nico.” Nico perked up at his name.

“What is this chocolate place?” Percy turned towards him, smile on his face.

“It’s one of the best chocolateries in New York City, right on the outskirts of Manhattan. Their sea salt dark chocolate is the best, and I’ve only had it a few times because my mom’s friends with the owners. I also know someone there. We get discounted whenever she goes there.”

“That sounds awesome, I love chocolate.”

“Well then, Nico, want to come with us?” Nico and Percy swiveled to see Sally halfway out the door with her coat on. “It’s not that far, and I need some strong boys to help me carry some chocolate. Percy, I’m making my caramel brownies with chocolate ganache, and I need lots of the good stuff. You can help, right?” Percy’s head looked like it would fall off with another shake of his head.

“Of course, ma’am!” Sally nodded curtly and exited into the front yard. Percy turned towards Nico with a smile, which quickly turned into a sneer.

“C’mon fag, let’s go get some chocolate.”

* * *

“This place smells so good!” Nico tried walking through the thick crowd of people in the store while Percy nodded. He inhaled deeply, trying to get the smells to course through his veins.

“They make the chocolate here daily and with some fresh as fuck ingredients, unlike the other chocolate companies. They are only local too. That’s why all these tourists want to get their hands on it. Even on Thanksgiving their packed, it’s annoying. I just need to find…”

“Percy, come over here! Your friend can finally help us!” Sally’s voice cut through the crowd.

“Percy!”

“Silena, what’s up!” Nico stood flabbergasted as he saw Silena run up in a chocolate covered apron and hug Percy. “How’s the day?”

“Fucking busy, that’s what! Thanksgiving Day and mom’s like, “Silena, I want you and your sisters to keep the shop running while I go out and talk business.” I mean, I love this job, but I’d love to rest and eat some food too! I sent your mom back to her car, that woman needs all the rest she can get with you as a son. Nico?” The boy in question became startled and meekly nodded, still shocked at the fact that Silena was here.

“Oh my god, you two are here for some chocolate! I mean, it’s a bit early for Valentine’s Day, but chocolate’s year round. How may I help you?” Nico stood flustered while Percy began running off a memorized list.

“Three pounds of 70% dark chocolate, two pounds of milk chocolate, a pack of your European imported cream, and some sea salt dark chocolates too. Also a box of assorted, for Ghost Boy over here.” Ghost Boy was another one of his pet names for me, whenever we were out in public. He’d never call me that when we were alone.

“Oh sheesh, don’t break bank over here! I can only give you guys so much of a discount!”

“Don’t worry, Silena. My mom had an influx at her candy shop, so now we can buy a bit more. What will the price be.”

“Um, one second…” Silena input that into her mobile calculator and smiled. “With our deals, it’ll be $757 even, plus a tip for good measure.” Silena raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, with Percy chuckling and throwing a twenty in her face. 

“When it comes to tips, you sure are pretty thirsty.” Silena pouted in his face.

“It’s the only way I’ll be able to fund for my education. Here Nico, have a sample.” A piece of chocolate was shoved into Nico’s mouth, bursting with flavor as soon as it hit his tongue.

“Mmmph! Delicious! I taste something sweet, what is that?”

“It’s our newly infused orange lavender truffle, very expensive but worth it.” Nico nodded and smiled dopily, savoring the flavor. Percy ruffled his hair and leaned to whisper in his ear.

“Better be grateful, little faggot. She doesn’t do that usually, so say thank you.” Nico nodded in his chocolate haze.

“Thank you, Silena. That was delicious.” Silena smiled and handed Percy his credit card back.

“The stuff will be in the back, Charlie will bring it out for you. See you guys later! And Nico, I added some more of the truffles in the order, not that Percy’s mom will mind. Bye!” Both boys were ushered into the kitchen where everyone was packing up the chocolate or checking their nails. An out of place burly guy with overalls stood at the back.

“Hey Beckendorf, where is all the chocolate?” Beckendorf grinned and pointed at the back.

“Right over there. I’ll see the both of you guys after break ends. This job is something for me to do while Silena is in charge of the shop.” Percy side hugged Beckendorf before going to the back. Before Nico could leave, the giant of a teen pulled Nico to the side.

“Hey dude, I know we haven’t talked before, but you are, how do I say this… Chill. You’re good at Spanish, right?”

Nico couldn’t handle all these people randomly touching him and bringing him rand places, but answered Willingly with a slight stutter. “Y-yeah, I am, why?”

“Think you could tutor me? I need some help.” Nico was taken aback by the proposition. Why him?

“Why me?”

“Because you seem really easy to talk to, and Silena isn’t that good. I would ask Annie but she’s talking Latin. Please?” 

“S-sure. I’ll do it.” Beckendorf smiled and gave Nico a hug.

“Thanks, man! I’ll see you after break!” Nico, after being released from the death grip, waved goodbye.

“See you, B-Beckendorf.” He really had to fix that stutter. Nico went into the back and helped Percy pack stuff into the trunk of his mom’s car before they drove back to the house.

* * *

“Paul, you’re back! And you have the turkey, amazing!” Sally opened the door to smell the odor of boiling turkey, brining right before the entering the ever awaiting oven.

“You know it, sugar. I'll have this big guy done in no time. I also see we have a new addition to the regular chocolate crew.” Paul, a tall man with salt and pepper hair, sauntered over to Nico, who was carrying a big box overfilled with chocolate and cream. Percy followed suit through the door, albeit a smaller size. 

“Need some help, dude?” Nico grunted once before Paul took the top half for him. “So, who are you?”

“Percy’s boyfriend. I guess you are his dad?”

“Stepdad. His actual father went… actually, Percy will tell you that on his own time.” What? Where did his real dad go?

Before Nico could finish his thought process, Percy popped into existence next to him.

“Hey Paul! Need help with the turkey?” Paul laughed, unwrapping the amazing amount of poultry on the counter.

“No dude, it’s alright. Go hang out with Tyson, he’s really excited to see you. I saw him walk into your room.”

Percy’s eyes lit up and he shot up at the sound of “Tyson”. “I can't wait! I haven't seen him since the summer!” Before he could run off, Paul stood in front of him, unimpressed.

“Running off? Without your boyfriend? For shame.” Percy sighed and glared directly at Nico, who in the moment was stone faced but in actuality trembling with fear.

“ _Nico_ , would you like come and meet Tyson?” His tone of voice frightened him, much like his father’s except much more sinister.

“S-sure Percy! Let’s go!” Nico ran away from the delicious, mouthwatering, decadent… He shoved one last piece of truffle in his mouth before scampering towards Percy, who had a disapproving frown. They both disappeared down the hall and towards Percy’s room.

“Okay, faggot. Rules. 1, don't say anything to him unless you are being asked a question or I will hit you. 2, do not EVER ask about the eye or I will hit you. 3, no PDA around him or…”

“You will hit me.” A punch smashed itself into Nico’s arm and he winced. 

“Right you are, bitch.” Nico rubbed his shoulder and entered the open room from behind Percy.

“Tyson!” Percy, in that exact moment, looked completely different than Nico had ever seen him. His entire face lit up in a blast of emotion, ranging with excitement, joy, love. He ran to pick up a brown haired boy, about 5, off the ground and into his arms. The little boy giggled innocently, wrapping his arms around his big brother.

“Percy! I saw you last time a long time ago! Wanna play some pirate?” That's when Nico noticed his eye. Tyson wore an eyepatch over one eye, completely obscuring the left eye.

“Sure! Let's go do that.” As Percy stood up, he moved to the side and Nico was revealed. Tyson widened his eyes and sat back perplexed.

“Who is this, Perce? He looks pale, need some milk.” Nico stared indignantly and was about to retort when he saw Percy’s eye flicker towards him, eyebrow raised. His response died on his lips.

“Oh him, Tyson. That's my “friend”, Nico. He’ll be eating dinner with us.” Tyson clapped his hands and ran up to Nico.

“You smell funny. I like it. Want to play pirates?” Nico smiled, remembering the childhood he once used to have.

“Of course Tyson! What do you want to be?” Tyson put a hand under his head and pretended to think.

“I want to be the hero of the ship, the one who’s gonna fight off the bad pirates! You wanna be pirate? I'll give you eye patch!” That's when Tyson reached around his head and took off his eye patch, which made Nico want to scream and faint at the same time.

Tyson’s eye was not there. At all. In its place were a bunch of stitches and paler skin. He looked expectantly at Nico with one eye, waiting for him to receive the eye patch. Nico looked towards Percy, who motioned for him to take the eye patch. He grabbed it with three fingers, not wanting to look awkward or rude.

“Thanks, Tyson. I'm gonna go wash this so I can wear it.” Tyson nodded happily and went back to sitting on the ground, playing with his toys. 

“Hey, Ty, I'm going with Nico too. Gotta make sure he doesn't mess it up.” Tyson nodded idly, already preoccupied with his action figures to notice Percy slapping Nico on the way out.

“Don't say a word.”

“I wasn't going to!”

“And if you want to know, he’s had that eye lost since he was about 2. We didn't have the insurance for a glass eye so a stitch job was all we could get. He’ll get one when he’s 12.” They arrived at the bathroom and Nico placed the eye patch under the faucet. He scrubbed the bad boy clean with lots of soap and water. He steeled himself and put it on, grimacing at the fact that this was a 5 year old boy’s eye patch.

They walked back to the room in awkward silence, not trying to annoy each other. Tyson jumped at the sight of Nico, grabbing a plastic toy baseball bat.

“You look so cool! Like an actual pirate! I'm the mighty hero of the sea, Tyson Jackson! I will fight you, evildoer!” With that exclamation, Tyson swung the bat and hit Nico in the knees. Nico pretended to groan and fall to the floor, while the little boy looked on triumphantly.

“I have beaten the pirate!”

“Are you sure…” Nico grabbed Tyson under the legs and caught him bridal style so he could lay him on the floor. He began tickling him, much to the surprise of Percy.

“Meet your match, Mr. Tyson! I will defeat you!”

“Ahh, help! Haha! The hero needs saving!” Tyson looked happy, almost ecstatic. Percy had never seen him so joyful, and it put a smile on his face. He glanced over at Nico, same smile plastered on him. He tried to frown, but couldn't muster up the muscles to do it. What was happening?

“Hey, Nico, let me play with Tyson.” Nico, still adrenaline filled from tickling Tyson, nodded and made a path for Percy. The next four hours were filled with the three boys playing with each other. They fought as pirates, explored as ocean explorers, and even played a bit of video games with Tyson. Finally, Sally popped her head in the doorway.

“Boys! Let’s go eat dinner! Oh Tyson, you took off your eye patch?”

“I gave it to Nico, he’s the best one eyed kraken I've ever met!” Tyson grinned with his baby smile and Nico wanted to pinch his cheeks and coo in cuteness, but Percy, who sat on the other side of Tyson, pinched Nico after seeing his look. 

“W-well, thanks Tyson.” Tyson scampered off the bed towards the warm food leaving Percy and Nico alone with his mom.

“You two are so adorable, playing with Tyson. Percy, let’s eat.” Percy nodded and jumped out of bed, extending a hand to Nico.

A flashback of all the times that he held a hand out before beating him up appeared in Nico’s eyes, and he visibly flinched. Sally ran up to him, clearly worried.

“What's wrong, Nico?” Percy looked down at his hand and then back up at the scene unfolding.

“Mom, don't worry. He’s fine.”

“Then why did he flinch?” Nico perked up and answered meekly to the question.

“Sally, it’s alright. I was bullied as a child, and some people would bring a hand out to pull me up but let go and continue. I haven't told Percy that yet, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.”

Sally nodded sympathetically. “I'm sorry to hear that. Percy hates it when people get wrongly bullied, so I'm happy that he’s in your life now.” _If only you knew it was your son that caused this irrational fear._

They walked out the room and into the dining room, which had food piled everywhere. Juicy cut turkey on a platter surrounded by mashed potatoes, gravy, sauteed vegetables, as well as some bread and mac and cheese off to the side. Nico’s mouth watered at the delicious sight, while Percy smirked. Hr leaned in close to Nico’s ear.

“Looks pretty good, faggot. Bet you want that thick meat in your mouth, goddamn cockslut.” Nico mentally rolled his eyes and stiffly walked to his seat. Percy sat next to him and chuckled.

Let’s pray and then eat.” Sally sat down and grabbed everyone’s hands while they prayed.

“Thank you for all the food on the table. Thank you for giving us this day so that we may be able to eat good, live well, and reflect on our blessings. We are very lucky to meet Nico, the newest person to the Jackson table, and that he may be able to bring us lots of joy and happiness. With this, we pray in your name, Amen.”

“Amen”. Everyone sat down and began digging in, savouring the food. The turkey was spectacular and the mac and cheese melted in Nico’s mouth. 

“Thank you for the food, Sally. This is incredible.”

“My thanks is to you. I think you are a splendid young man. Do you think you will be coming here for Christmas?” Nico swallowed his piece of bread before answering.

“No, I'm sorry. Me and my father will be celebrating at our house.”

“Really? Do you think you can take Percy then?” Nico’s eyes bulged out and he almost choked on his piece of mac and cheese.

“Why do you ask?” 

“Paul and I haven't been on a real vacation by ourselves since our marriage 5 years ago, and we want to go out together. Tyson will be at his friend’s house over Christmas break, so Percy will be all alone. Why don't you go with him?” Percy was silently glaring at his mom, but she paid no mind.

“O-oh sure, yeah! I'd love to have him over.”

“Great! I'll make sure to buy you something for Christmas tomorrow on Black Friday, it'll be fantastic.” The entire meal was filled with little side conversations, but this one stuck out.

He was hoping to lie to his father and not have to bring Percy, but he guessed it was all for naught. He was too busy worrying that he wasn't at all excited about the giant brownie he got at the end of the meal.

“That was delicious, Mom! Nico, you want me to walk you home?” Nico shook his head.

“No, it’s alright. Thank you so much, Sally.” Sally smiled and gave him a plate of food.

“I know you have a family to go back to, so give this to them. I hope you enjoy your weekend, Nico!” Nico nodded and just as he was about to walk out the door into the cold, black night, Tyson stopped him.

“Nico, thank you for the fun time! Take this!” Tyson handed him his eyepatch, and Nico chuckled. 

“Keep it. Thank you for being so wonderful.” Tyson grinned his signature smile and Nico laughed, then waved goodbye to everyone. Percy was the only one not looking at him. 

Nico exited the house into the cold night. His feet trudged through the New York snow, moving slowly to get anywhere.

He entered his house and his dad was there, eating a piece of pie from the local diner.

“Hey Nico, how was the food there?” Nico placed the food on the dining table and smiled weakly.

“It was good.”

* * *

Percy sat down on his bed, tired from the day. He didn't know what to think except about how Nico smiled. His white teeth, his bright brown eyes, his happy expression. It made him seem more lively, much more… cute. He shook his head and willed himself back to neutrality. 

No more need to dream about the faggot. The only worry was that when he did, it made him feel warm inside, not…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and kudos on how you feel the story is going, as well as a comment asking what one shots I should do. UPDATE: I've been pulled into the Yuri on Ice fandom and posted there and posted a story for the first time in the Avengers fandom, my first fandom, so I'll probably be a little sparse on the updates _here_. 
> 
> I still have my two stories ongoing right now, and since my special thing from last year started with the inclusion of different fandom's, so I won't start anything new, probably. I have three ongoings, one on YOI and two here. So, just more one shots and chapters. Maybe I'll update my Tumblr to be more precise, but I don't know. school is always a bitch and gets in the way, but I'll be okay. 
> 
> Remember, comments are always good and request because my brain isn't good at making ideas for fanfics. Doesn't have to be this chapter too. See you all later. Peace!


	7. Days (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah.
> 
> Sup.
> 
> I last updated in January, but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing some things in the background. So, here we are.
> 
> I am so sorry for the late updates. I literally have no excuses except for finals and mental health issues, which in itself is a pretty shitty thing to say. Most of the things that are wrong with me are stupid, so I'm just being a procrastinating son of bitch 
> 
> Empathetic WILL be getting updates within the next two weeks, I promise you that. We will learn more about that in the upcoming future. Also, Empathetic has left me in quite a predicament, since the chapters are coming out SUPER slow. I will extend the original 2017 deadline to indefinite. Furthermore, I have two new one shots close to completion, which have yet to see an end. One of them, you will know. 
> 
> Finally, I need ideas and new prompts. I'm running dry on ideas and I don't want to become someone who has the same story plot over and over again. If possible, you can give me something to write about and I will. Thanks for reading, and enjoy.
> 
> Side note: This chapter and the next one (which will come sooner than you think) is inspired by the PJO Fandom song, Soldatino by Paola Bennett. It is a Nico song I recently discovered, and it's honestly beautiful. Check it out please.

“Nico, I need you to move the lights over here.” Hades Di Angelo was in a bit of a predicament, balancing precariously on a ladder with a bundle of Christmas lights in hand and a box of nails. His son walked to the gestured area and set the box down, amused.

 

“Hey, Dad, you know that flat part at the top is where you can rest the nails.”

 

“Yes, Nico, but then where can I put the hammer?” Nico smirked to himself and shrugged his shoulders.

 

The yearly tradition of putting up lights and a tree a few days away from Christmas was going smoothly, albeit Nico was not sure how long it would be this peaceful. He still hadn't forgot how Percy’s mom hinted at Nico taking him in for the holidays. It was a matter of time before Percy came over, and he wasn't too keen on that, considering their prolonged time apart. He shivered, the cold of the outside piercing through his thick, leather jacket.

 

“Hey, is that Jackson boy coming over for Christmas? I still want to meet him.” Nico froze, in transition of getting mistletoe out of a box to put in his room. He set it down, moving his hand to his backs as if caught in trouble.

 

“Um, yeah, I think so. Mrs. Jackson hasn't told me anything about it and Percy has been busy as of late. Finals were rough on him, so he needs rest.” Winter finals had just passed, leaving Nico exhausted. Percy was acting even more bitchy than usual too, leaving Nico to give him some space in their “relationship”.

 

“Okay, just making sure he isn't a figment of your excessive imagination. That would be a shame.”

 

Nico nodded, looked up at his father trying to hang the lights, and let a broken smile flit across his face. “Yeah, that would be tragic…”

 

It really would be though. Without Percy, he hadn’t really have any reason to try and live. His beatings and harassment gave him something to dread, but it also made him, in a fucked up way, realize that someone really did want something from him. Even if it was a punch to the stomach, to give someone the satisfaction when his worthless life couldn’t do that in the first place, made him relieved. Damn, he should really see a psych about this.

 

“So, what’s his favorite food? I might buy that so he won’t feel left out eating just Italian food.” Nico stopped to think, wondering what he would like.

 

“I remember that Percy loves it when his food looks blue, and it can’t be fish unless he buys it himself. He is trying to be a marine biologist. He really loves the ocean.” _But not me._ Nico thought bitterly, then catching himself in the act. _Stop, just stop right now._

 

“What a… weird fucking kid, I can't even be nice about that. Blue food?”

 

Nico snickered and faced his father, who looked like he would fall off any second from his high perch. He didn’t know why he made his father get on the ladder in the first place,considering he hated heights.

 

“Yes, papa. Blue food. He doesn't mind it being its natural color however. He has an affinity for meat, like prime rib and steak.”

 

“Prime rib is well within our budget, I can make that just fine. He better appreciate your mom’s recipe of Carbonara however, even if it’s made by a Greek.” Nico could hear the smile in his father’s voice at the mention of his mama. He sighed and handed him another bunch of lights.

 

“I've tasted it, and if he doesn't like It, I'll be sure to tell him. I'm excited for this Christmas, actually.” 

 

“Better not be excited enough to suck his dick in my household.” Nico shot up, eyes wide and horrified at the words that spilled from his father’s face.

 

“Papa! _Giuro su Dio_ , never bring up my sex life in this household for as long as I live, sheesh.”

 

“Because you don’t have one?” Nico screamed and left the scene in embarrassment while Hades finished his final light, hammering the last nail just below the roof. He climbed down, noticing a small snowflake traversing its way to the floor.

 

“Nico, look, there’s snow! Come on, you know I'm joking!”

* * *

Percy paced back and forth across his room, silently fuming.

 

Why the fuck did he have to stay at the faggot’s house for Christmas? He tried to reason with his mom, but she would not see any other way.

 

_“We’re going to Pennsylvania to meet Paul’s family, and I know you will be bored out of your mind there.”_

 

_“Well, how do you know that? Maybe I can make some friends over there with my new ‘cousins’?”_

 

_“Percy, dear, the oldest and only cousin you have there is an 8 year old girl.”_

 

That ended the argument rather quickly. As he crossed his room for the 100th time, his mom knocked on the door, startling the young teenager.

 

“Percy, time for us to leave! Paul and I are leaving with Tyson, so you should head over to your boyfriend’s house in a few hours. And we will know if you left or not, mister!” Percy groaned and yelled through the door.

 

“Okay, Mom! I’ll leave now.” Percy picked up his blue duffle bag, sighing as he proceeded towards the door. He turned the knob, then paused. 

 

He’d been thinking the past few months, and he didn’t know where this fake relationship with Nico could go. It’s only been 3 months and he doesn’t know what to do anymore regarding Annabeth and her acceptance of the “romance”. It was strange, winging something you never knew you were going to wing in the first place. 

 

I mean, he could even break up with him as soon as he got there. Who knows?

 

He shook his head and walked out of his room.

 

As Percy strolled through his front door and out the driveway, he saw Tyson in the back seat of their car waving at him. He waved back, a bit of bile rising to his throat. _I don’t want Tyson to deal with the faggot anymore though…_. His mom approached him, looking at him with warm eyes.

 

“Don’t do anything stupid, and remember…” Percy looked at her, confused with the pause until he saw what she sneaked into his hand. “Always use protection.”

 

He groaned and slipped the condoms into his pocket, reminding himself to throw them away as soon as he got to the faggot’s house.

 

“I will, Mom.” She smiled and laughed her way to the car, leaving Percy to his own devices.

 

He set off towards Nico’s house, the snow on the ground a nice blanket of soft whiteness, pristine and cool to the touch. The faggot’s entire house, as he approached the humble abode, was covered from head to toe in heavy powdery snow, covering the windows with mist and the driveway with icicles. He had only seen it in passing and occasional beatings, but had never been inside of it. He walked up the front steps and stood in front of the door, unmoving.

 

What was this emotion he was feeling?

 

Ah yes, nervousness. He shouldn’t be nervous. He could beat the fucking retard up if he wanted to.

 

Percy knocked on the door three times, ready to get out of the cold. Nothing happened for 10 seconds, then it opened.

 

And out stepped the man of Percy’s nightmares.

* * *

Nico sat on the couch, scrolling across his phone looking at different news articles.

 

_Boring, boring, stupid, annoying, boring, meh, knock, knock, knock_

 

Knock knock knock? That wasn’t an article. Nico turned around to see his dad, wearing his favorite blazer for dinner parties, and Percy at the front door, having an awkward staring contest. He shrugged and walked to the door, staring from behind his dad. Suddenly, Nico could see something he had never seen before in Percy.

 

Fear.

 

His face shown with distinct terror, his lips parted slightly and in a scared stance. His eyes were shining in absolute dread, and his muscles were stiffened and taut, as if ready to run if necessary.

 

Hades, however, was not impressed.

 

“Son, why does your date look like he’s going to pee himself?” This shook Percy out of his trance, and he recomposed himself, going back to his laidback demeanor, almost as if nothing had happened. _Almost_.

 

“Thank you for pointing that out, sir. You just reminded me of a favorite late uncle I used to have, of which there is extremely uncanning appearances. My name is Percy Jackson, and I am Nico’s boyfriend.” Hades, however, continued to look unamused.

 

“Oh really? Then why has Nico always complained about you?” 

 

The entire world could hear the snow crunch underneath a passerby’s boot. Nico’s head was spinning, spinning like a carousel on too high of a speed.

 

One thing he could not understand was how his father could be so perceptive. He had never even complained once about him and yet, here he was, confronting the bully who had tormented him for years. Was this even real?

 

Another thing was the surprised look on Percy’s face. As if he didn’t expect this man to tear out his soul and look through the crevices to see blood staining the green eyed boy’s past. It was all so surreal. Percy looked around at the bushes and snow around him, as if trying to find a spot to blend in with his obscenely bright clothing choices.

 

“C-complaints? Why would there be any complaints? I have been good to Nico these past few months, sir, and…” This was the real heel kick to the face. Hades actually began to smile and grabbed Percy by the shoulder.

 

“Boy, don’t worry! I was just testing you. I haven’t seen Nico out of the house so much without his drawing pad in ages! I was starting to get worried?” There was only so many times before Nico could pass out from overexertion of his cerebral cortex and not exploding.

 

Percy, stunned by the recent bipolarness of the situation, threw on his biggest fake smile and laughed with Hades. “Oh, no problem, Sir! It’s been my pleasure! Nico is a real diamond in the rough.” Hades nodded solemnly and pushed him towards Nico.

 

“Well, you two have fun, I’m going out.” So that’s what the blazer was for. Nico jumped in at that moment to say a few choice words.

 

“Um, Dad, who are you going out with?”

 

“Oh, Persephone, of course. The woman from around Thanksgiving. You’ll meet her soon enough, don’t you worry.” _Goodie_ Nico thought in his head.

 

“Why so soon? Don’t you want to talk to Percy?” Percy threw his head furiously towards Nico, daring him to go further with his demands.

 

“Judging from the reaction of your boyfriend, I think he wants some alone time with you, Go on, have fun. I don’t care. Just don’t break anything. I only really had enough time to greet him anyway. You are staying here tonight, on account of your duffle bag?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“Good. I will see you both later tonight. Goodbye, Nico.” Nico smiled weakly at his father.

 

“Goodbye, papa.” His dad walked out the front door with an air of finality. The door clicked shut and Percy ran towards the window, waiting to see if his dad had left. 

 

Nico, in the meantime, was already thinking of a plan of how to survive the next few days with Percy Jackson. _Knives are in the cupboard, I have a gun next to my toilet, food rations stored in my mini-fridge…_ He really was scared to be alone with Percy, in all honesty. Here he was, vulnerable in his own house trapped with a demon with a beautiful body and eyes.

 

A hand grabbed his waist hard. Nico gasped and stumbled backwards into the assailant before figuring out who it was.

 

“P-Percy! H-hey, why did you-!” A slap across the face was sufficient enough evidence to shut him up.

 

“Di Angelo, is that really your fucking dad?” Nico nodded, rubbing the spot on his cheek where he got hit before getting backhanded on the other side.

 

**SLAP!**

 

“Owww!”

 

“Fucking say yes or no, don’t give me no sign language bullcrap!” Percy was extremely angry for some reason, and that made Nico more confused than terrified.

 

“Yes! Now stop hitting me, you asshole!” Wrong thing to say. A kick to the shin had Nico sprawled forward on his stomach, his lower half shaking and upper half groaning in pain.

 

“Fuck you! That’s what! I am not spending Christmas with that man!”

 

“Why not? He’s my dad!” 

 

“Yeah, that’s why I’m not staying! He’s a monster!”

 

“How is he a fucking monster?”

 

“You know, you fucking told me!”

 

Nico could not understand much from what Percy was arguing, but when he saw a fist raised to the air, he screamed his trump card.

 

“If you hit me one more motherfucking time, I will tell Annabeth the truth about us!” Percy’s eyes widened, and he lowered his fist.

 

Good. Nico put his hands in a surrendering position, and tried to calm himself down. _Breath in, breath out_.

 

“Okay, good. Now, why do you hate my dad so much?” Percy harrumphed in a childish manner, crossing his arms as if he was about to throw a tantrum.

 

“I don’t need to tell you shit.” Nico was about ready to wring his arms around Percy’s neck, but decided to wasn’t worth it at the moment.

 

“Okay, then don’t. Just stop being an asshole for the next three days and then you can leave.” Percy did not look happy at all. His eyes were glaring holes into Nico, hoping to turn into lasers that he could fire into his heart. Sadly, this timeline did not exist.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Now, I was going to go Christmas shopping. Want to come with me or…”

 

“Dude, Christmas is in like 3 days. You can shop tomorrow, they will have better deals.” That didn’t make any sense at all, since the deals would be the same from day to day, yet Nico did not persist.

 

“Okay, what do you want to do?”

 

“Fuck if I know, I just got here. I’m your guest. Help me, o’ humble host.” Percy bowed deeply in his stance, his sarcasm coming back to him in waves.

 

“I’m going to watch some Christmas movies then. If you want, you can come to, but make sure you clean up the couch after you sit on it. I don’t need dead brain cells infesting my clean furniture.” It would had been funnier albeit Percy ran up and kneed him in the chest, making him fall back onto the sofa. He started to wheeze and Percy walked to the other side of the couch, ready to start the festivities.

 

“Let’s go, I’m always up for some Elf.”

* * *

They did end up watching Elf, along with a couple other Christmas movies. By the fifth movie, Nico seemed to enjoy The Nightmare Before Christmas a bit much, prompting Percy to poke fun at him.

 

“I knew you were a fucking emo kid! You can’t fool me, faggot!” That earned an eye roll from Nico and a glance at the clock.

 

“Well, would you look at the time, it’s time for us to go to bed!” Percy made a face at that notion.

 

“Bed? What are you, a fucking grandma?”

 

“I'm way better than your grandma, and I'm going to bed. Good night!” The last part was emphasized with Nico rushing to his bedroom as an emphatic Percy was on his tail.

 

“Take back what you said about my grandma, dick-sucker!” Nico shut the door on his face almost movie like, with only a few seconds to spare before he would be captured.

 

“Do you not take anything as a joke, you fucking bitch?” All of a sudden, it went deathly quiet.

 

Nico had never called Percy a bitch before, and felt sick.

 

The younger teen had just left a boy who hated him loose inside of his house to all his worldly possessions to wander free. He couldn't even tell if Percy was going to try and get in anymore. A singsong voice sang from the other side of the door answered in response to the rhetorical question.

 

“Oh, looky! A picture frame! Wonder what will happen if-”

 

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH ANYTHING!” The bedroom door slammed open and out jumped Nico, who caught Percy holding a picture of his mother and him. Nico tackled Percy and wrestled the frame out of his grimy paws, then rushed back to his room.

 

This time, however, Percy was prepared. He tripped Nico by sticking his foot out and crawled his way toward the door. Nico scrambled back up from his blunder, hand occupied with frame, and raced inside his bedroom.

 

He tried to close the door but Percy’s long body took over half of the door frame, successfully letting him enter.

 

The green eyed boy crawled to the edge of the bed and used it to prop himself up. He stumbled towards the door and closed it, using a lock that Nico barely ever needed to use to trap both of them inside.

 

“F-fucking asshole.” Nico stuttered, clutching the picture of his mom and him. There was no way he would let anything happen to it, not even by his bully.

 

Not a word was spoken by Percy as he grabbed a pillow from Nico’s bed. Nico placed his picture frame down warily and in the next few seconds, was glad that he did. 

 

Pillow filled his point of view as Percy unleashed a hailstorm of fluffy pain upon the Italian boy.

 

“FUCK! YOU! Bitch, if I wasn’t staying here, you would have at least 20 teeth missing with tackling me like that!” Percy emphasized each word with a pillow hit, rendering Nico helpless to the barrage of harmless attacks.

 

“I'm sorry! I surrender!” Nico wanted to laugh at Percy’s childishness, yet knew better. With a final blow, Percy stopped with the one sided pillow fight and began to take a look around the room.

 

It was pretty dark, considering the only light that came from it was from under the door. Nico turned on his lamp on his bedside and the entire circumference of the room burst with life, illuminating the black walls, gray bed, and large black desk. There was a small laptop sitting there, charging away. In the minimalistically barren room, there was also a bathroom with a connecting to the bedroom.

 

“What a depressing place. No wonder you go outside so much.” Nico glared at him and watched him carefully.

 

“You almost broke the frame.” Percy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in defiance.

 

“I know, and I'm sorry.” What? He was apologizing? “I was genuinely curious and saw a smaller you. Granted, you look ugly, but your mom… she was beautiful.”

 

Huh? Was he… complimenting my mom?

 

“Yeah, she was pretty beautiful.”

 

“What do you remember about her the most?” In the light and dark contrasting background, Percy’s eyes and face almost reflected regret, but that couldn't be true. He had no regret left for a so-called “faggot” like me.

 

“She would sing to me. A song every night. I-I will never forget it.” Nico choked a bit on his words, remembering the song his mother would lull him to sleep with.

 

“Can you sing it for me?” Nico looked at him confused. He was terrible at singing, but complied.

 

“Sure. Well, here is some verses that I can remember. Um…” And he began.

 

 _Tu sei il mio soldatino_  
_La ragione per cui vivo_  
_Non ti scordar di me_  
_Io veglierò su di te_ ”

 

Percy could not believe, would not believe the voice that came out of Nico’s mouth. Purely angelic.

 

Nico could see out of the corner of his eyes Percy staring blankly at a wall, face expressionless. He could only remember the Italian parts, so he decided to press on.

 

_Ma Nico, mio caro_

_Eri il mio soldatino_  
_Ora un principe oscuro_

 

A tear rolled down Nico’s eye.

_Ma anche per te, c'è una luce_  
_Che ad un'altra vita ti conduce_

 

The beautiful singing voice ceased to exist, leaving the room in a soft silence. All you could hear is the breathing patterns of the two boys, so palpable that you could feel it. The soft light of the room painted a picture perfectly with Nico the focal point, staring directly at the darkened back of a conflicted Percy Jackson, as if out of a realism piece.

 

Percy was the first one to snap out of the heartfelt moment, confused as to what happened.

 

“W-well, that was nice. You don’t suck half as bad, Nico.” The boy in question smiled a bit.

 

“Thanks, I guess. Why did you want me to sing?” Percy rolled his eyes at that.

 

“None of your fucking business.” There’s Percy again. Just like that, a moment ruined. Yet, it still felt magical what with the light and growing buzzing feeling in his pocket. Wait, buzzing?

 

“Hold on a minute, it’s Charlie.” Percy looked at Nico surprised before screaming in protest.

 

“Excuse me, did I ever say-”

 

“ _Hola Charlie, ¿comó estás? ¿Bien? ¿Mande? No, tu puedes hablar solo en español, no “Nico, it’s not time for Spanish”. ¡Hay siempre tiempo para español!”_

 

The entire time, Percy stood in the back frozen and confused, trying to figure out what the hell was being said. He had just heard three languages spoken in a span of five minutes, and it hurt his head.

 

 _“¡Y haz su tarea! Sin holgura! Pues, adiós, Percy está aquí. Si, si. Hasta luego.”_ Nico clicked the end call button and flopped onto his bed, tired.

 

“Um, what the fuck was that?” 

 

“Charlie was asking me about what he should do since he was bored with Spanish, and I told him to do his homework. That boy never does it.”

 

“You mean Beckendorf?” Nico nodded his head and yawned, a bit disoriented from singing.

 

“I'm going to bed. Good night.” Nico strolled towards his closet to change when Percy pulled him back.

 

“Hey! What the fuck? Where am I supposed to sleep?”

 

“On the floor?” Percy frowned and started to undress. Nico’s eyes suddenly did not have the power to blink anymore.

 

“H-hey, what are you doing?” Percy interestingly ignored him and shed the last of his clothing, his pants, before digging out a fresh new sweatpants from his bag. Nico ran to his bedside table for some napkins to stop his drool river when he saw Percy’s muscular thighs.

 

The older teen finally jumped into his new pants, gave it a once over, and proceeded to flop onto Nico’s bed. He was only able to snuggle a bit into the soft comforter before Nico jumped on it as well, arms splayed to cover the most area on the bed.

 

“You are not sleeping here.” Percy rolled his eyes at that notion.

 

“I am sleeping here and not the hard floor, unless you want to deal with a grumpy, abusive Percy in the morning?” His green eyes narrowed to challenge Nico, daring him to respond. With a gulp of the throat, Nico conceded.

 

“I get to sleep in my bed too though.” Percy nodded and shifted under the sheets, the warmth of the bed outweighing the fact that a faggot would be sidling up to him.

 

“No. Touching. Got it?” Nico didn’t respond, just facing away from the boy in question. Percy jabbed Nico in the side, hard. “I said, did you hear me, faggot?”

 

“Yes, sir.” The way Nico said sir sent unfamiliar shivers down Percy’s spine, so he huffed and lied down toward the wall. No way he was going to get sleep next to this bitch. No matter how beautiful his singing was.

 

Nico knew it was only going to get worse. He knew, even if they didn’t happen yet hat tomorrow and Christmas and even Boxing Day would be very bad…


	8. Muddled (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, new chapter! Loooooooong chapter too. I'm getting a little bit better at updating more frequently, but don't expect me to suddenly start churning chapters out my ass. I finally understand where I want to go with this story, so it makes it a hell of a lot easier.
> 
> In other news, I'm in summer school right now and I have the top grade of the class (YES!). People have told me that the teacher gives a TI-84 calculator to the top student of the class, so I'm pretty damn excited for that if it's me. I'm also going on vacation soon in LA, so I'll try and write some more stuff for my stories.
> 
> This chapter is the second part to Days, continuing right back where we ended off. I'm a bit partial to this chapter, but that's because it's very... mysterious, in a sense. I hope you enjoy, and read on.

Pitch black was the bedroom, cold and barren except for two boys sharing a bed. Snow fell outside the window, flurries of white powder softly pelting the window. In the silence of this peaceful night, one of the boys shivered, wrapping themselves around the other, unbeknownst to the other. 

Nico yawned awake, not understanding why he woke up. He was still sleepy and attempted to rid of the black dots encompassing his vision. Rubbing his eyes, he smacked his lips softly, licking his lips to get rid of the nasty morning breath in his mouth. Despite it being freezing cold inside his black room judging from the frosty breath he conjured, he was surprisingly warm. He tried to turn around but a grip that wasn’t there before tightening around his stomach. A low, growly voice emanated behind him, urgently familiar.

“Mmph… Cold… Gotta get…”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. There was no way Percy randomly snuggled up to a worthless faggot like himself in the middle of the night. The younger teen tried scooting away again, to no avail. The breath next to his shoulder moved to his neck, and he could smell the salty odor of the ocean intensify with each inhale and release of air.

There was no way Percy was going to enjoy waking up like this. He had to do something, quick. But what?

Nico glanced at his clock. 4:17 AM. Thank the gods, it wasn’t morning yet. He didn’t have to get up yet, but that didn’t solve the problem of having Percy on his back. The Italian boy didn’t know what else to do but try and fall asleep, but in that next moment, it proved fruitless.

Percy groaned huskily (and a little sexily) into his ear and began licking the back of his neck. The presence of a tongue made Nico recoil forward, but that bear grip kept him at bay. Nico was mortified beyond belief, both from getting molested in his own damn bed and on top of that, _enjoying it_. The tongue turned into peppered kisses along the side and back of his neck, slow and sensual.

This was a wet dream beyond what Nico could imagine, and that’s considering how many times they had kissed each other already. If Nico just closed his eyes, he could imagine Percy trying to soothe his worries, he could imagine him trying to calm him down after a bad dream and there was the giant lick.

Nico cringed, feeling in that instant how an ice cream cone might feel after a human tongue tried to stop it from dripping. With invigorated strength, Nico turned away from Percy’s muscular arms, wiped his neck on the pillow, and once again tried to fall asleep.

Not before Percy could do one last thing. In his sleep driven actions, he decided to grab Nico and hold him close to his chest protectively, petting his hair and using him as a teddy bear. It was almost his imagination, but he could hear something being whimpered under Percy’s breath, something that sounded like “don’t babe.” _He must be dreaming of Annabeth or something_ , Nico thought as he faded into slumber once more.

* * *

Nico woke up to the rustling of sheets and a heavy body crawling over him. He cracked open his eyes to peer at the new time.

6:39 AM. Not too shabby. He opened his eyes and moved around, trying to rub any crust from his eyelashes. The brown eyed teen sat up in his bed, arms sinking into the mattress as the sound of the bed creaking pierced the hushed room.

“Oh my, I woke up the faggot.” Nico stiffened at the sound of his voice, trying to calm down. Percy, the asshole that he was, was just trying to rile him up.

“If you weren't so noisy getting up, maybe I would not be awake.” NIco muttered to himself before getting bombarded by a fluffy pillow to the face, reminiscent of the night before. 

“Fuck off. I just need to take a shower.” At that, Percy walked towards his bathroom and locked the door, where only a few moments later, water could be heard pelting the walls of the shower. The steam coming from the shower room flowed underneath the door, fogging the frosty window.

 _Asshole._ Nico thought bemusedly, trying to get his muscles to wake up from their prolonged slumber. He tumbled out of bed, stumbling around to throw on some clothes to go out for early Christmas shopping. He couldn’t seem to find his socks anywhere though.

As soon as his last article of clothing came off, Percy walked into the room wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Rivulets of water dripped down his chest, wetting the hardwood floor beneath. He turned towards Nico, a mocking smile on his lips.

“Hey, bitch, don’t look at me while I change.” Nico nodded in an offhand manner (totally not distracted by the naked boy in his room) and went across the space to change. First came his black shirt, black underwear, black jeans, gray jacket. His attire mimicked a Tim Burton fantasy. Now he had everything on except his socks and shoes. The younger boy checked everywhere, from under his art book to his closet, but nothing was there. Percy kept humming in the background, and when Nico turned, he caught a glance at where it might be.

Underneath Percy’s foot. While he was still naked.

How the fuck did he not notice it there? Was he fucking blind? Nico quickly averted his eyes and looked towards the floor, trying to pick up his socks with the Force. No such luck. He sighed and called out to Percy, hoping he wouldn’t be treated like a fool.

“Umm, Percy, can you hand me my socks? They’re underneath your feet.”

“Oh, really?” Percy looked down at his feet and shrugged impassively at the ground. “Come and get them yourself, faggot.” Nico sighed frustratedly.

“Unless you want me to see you naked, you better give me those socks.” He could feel Percy’s annoyance growing evermore stronger.

“...Fine. Lazy ass.” Nico couldn’t see nor hear anything but the padding of feet on hardwood floor travel towards him. A pair of socks draped over his shoulder and he sighed, slipping them on soon afterwards. 

He was surprised that Percy actually complied with his demands. Usually, things would have gone awry and he would have had to fend off a distinctly angry Percy. In spite of these rare circumstances, he needed to leave the house soon or else the department stores would become overwhelmed with people just like him, procrastinating over . 

“You decent? You’re coming with me.”

“Yeah, faggot. Let’s go.” Nico looked up to see Percy in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, coupled with a snow jacket. He, as always, looked as hot as ever. The jet black hair he possessed had little cohesive droplets of water stuck to the strands, wetting his shirt slightly. 

“The fuck you looking at, faggot?” Nico blinked and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. He opened the door, grunting in vexation when he was rudely pushed into the doorframe. He speed walked his way to the large staircase, right behind Percy.

“Is that gonna be your default thing to say every time I need to look at you despite any reasons?” Percy turned around and punched his shoulder in response, making him stumble on the way down the stairs.

“You know it, faggot. What do we need?”

“A lot of things. I still need to buy lots of gifts, clothes…” Percy groaned as he heard the list expand.

This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Percy look into the last window of a shop to see a multitude of clothes and gadgets he’d like to own.

“Hey, faggot, can you buy me this?”

“No.”

“How about this?”

“No.”

“What about…”

“I already bought you a “gift”, so stop harassing me.” Percy, hands full of shopping bags, stopped his march to the car and looked at Nico, eyes confused. The snow on the ground was still there from yesterday, and from the looks of it, many people had trudged over the patch they decided to stop on. Gray snow with black rocks and dirt crumbled underneath them, a sign that foretold the rush of last minute Christmas Day shopping.

It was a miracle Nico was able to get all of the stuff that he desired for his father and others whose names definitely did not start with the letter J in less than four hours, so he was grateful. Despite the onslaught of worried people haggling prices in toy stores and degenerates ripping clothes off of racks to later gift, Nico and Percy managed to fight off any others in their personal quest.

“Oh, so you bought me something? Let me guess, it’s in here? Is it the necklace?”

“No, that’s for someone else.”

“The blue hairbrush?”

“No, and I’m not going to tell you.” Percy rolled his eyes in disgust and walked his way toward his car.

“Assfuck. I ought to slap you for this.” Nico nodded, the threat now white noise to his ear.

“Okay, it’s late now. We should go back to my house and start getting ready for tomorrow.” Percy nodded slowly, seeing an unusual emotion momentarily pass upon Nico’s face before frowning.

“Good. I'm tired of walking. Why couldn’t you do this, I don't know, 3 weeks ago? And online?” 

“I don’t understand the newfangled computers that come out, it’s like they become twice as more advanced the next time I see a new one come out.”

“Newfangled? Holy shit, when were you born, 1930’s? No one says shit like that.” Nico reddened at the way that Percy noticed his speech pattern. It wasn’t his fault. His mother was a thespian, and loved the speech of the 20’s and 30’s. Him and his sister would only emulate what was said. His tone turned harsh as he emitted his next words.

“Yeah, I know.” That shut Percy up quick. He was used to stuttered responses and silent nods, but this level of hostility did not bode well with his system. They entered the car and the older teen turned the key, engine hacking and coughing in the cold. They exited the parking lot and drove along the freeway. After a few moments of awkward silence, he tried to start a new topic. 

“W-well, I got you a present too. Hope you’re excited for it.” Nico swiveled his head towards Percy, now filled with doubt and a bit of…. hope? Yeah, hope, glimmering in his eyes.

“Y-you got me a present?” Percy shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.

“My mom helped me pick out the present, but yeah. I did. With my own money.” Percy folded his arms together, trying to give off a tone of indifference. 

“Thanks, Percy. Really.” Percy scoffed haughtily and stared at the ice covered road hard, as if it had insulted his mother.

“No problem, faggot.” Nico’s smile didn’t falter, even when his “boyfriend” pulled into his driveway, apparently deep in thought. They walked into the house, with the first thing they smell being a wonderful aroma wafting in from the kitchen. Nico cupped his hands to his face and yelled.

“Dad! What are you cooking?” Nico heard his dad chuckle and come out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel.

“Don’t yell, Nico. And just some shrimp tagliatelle and bread. I'm also starting to prepare the “special meat”. Dinner will be done in a few hours, go upstairs and rest.” Nico nodded and walked up the staircase to put all of his bags away. Percy tried to follow to, but Hades put his hand on his shoulder.

“No, young man. You are coming with me. Christmas Eve dinner always needs a few more helpers.” Percy’s face shone with an absolute fear, only caught for a split second by Nico before being replaced with a nervousness reserved for talks with parents. 

“Sure thing, Mr. Di Angelo.” With that, Nico walked up the steps to his room and locked the door, leaving Percy to do his own thing. How he hoped he wouldn’t fuck up.

* * *

“So, your name is Percy Jackson?” 

The teen in question nodded his head, green eyes brimming with alarm colliding with black, abyssal eyes. There was no way that he would show that fear in his speech, however. 

“Yes, sir. I am.”

“Good. Welcome to my domain.” 

Hades walked through a swinging kitchen door, and Percy followed suit to find himself in scent heaven. There was a burgundy marble countertop adorning the center of the room, followed by a cutting station and a block of kitchen knives. There were induction stovetops on the other side of the room filled with pots and pans of similar sizes, and Percy could see heat rising from one of the pots. An array of herbs sat atop the marble, all in their respective shakers, currently being dominated in size by a giant pepper cracker and an even larger packet of butcher paper. Hades settled himself at the cutting board and heaved the apparently heavy morsel inside of the wrapping. He paused a moment before speaking up.

“What are your intentions?” 

Percy opened his eyes wide, a bit surprised at the topic. He thought that he would talk about something a bit different, maybe his likeness to someone he… 

Wait one fucking moment. Oh no, dear gods, _this talk_.

“Well, my intentions are to make your son feel accepted and happy. I care a lot about him.” 

Those soulless eyes whirled and bore into Percy, traversing his inner machinations to see if he caught onto his faux behavior or not. Years of acting would not be thwarted by a middle aged man wearing a “Kill The Cook” apron. Hades took a long inhale, and gave a benign smile.

“Ah. My mistake, I'm sorry. I'm not used to my son all of a sudden having a partner. Must have gotten it from me. I used to dabble a little bit with the boys myself.” 

Percy groaned audibly, not interested in the sex life of the one person he disliked the most next to his spawn, causing Hades to smirk in delight.

“But enough about me. He tells me you enjoy prime rib, so here it is.”

Wait, he did? Percy knew that Nico knew he liked meats, but he didn’t think that he would go out of his way to actually provide one. His thoughts were distracted as he saw Hades pull out from the large packet of butcher paper some delicious looking in-bone prime rib. Percy stumbled a bit with his words, a bit perplexed and surprised at the kind gesture.

“Y-yeah, I love it. How heavy is it? Did he tell you to buy it for me?”

Was that his present? A giant hunk of meat for dinner? Hades kept his slight smile as he seasoned the meat accordingly, sighing as he grabbed a sharp knife out of the block.

“Yeah, he said you liked meat. It’s about 7 pounds, so we’ll eat some for leftovers tomorrow. If you think this is his present to you, however, you’re sorely mistaken. I know what he got you.” 

Percy’s eyes grew bigger and he had to steady himself on the counter to make sure he didn’t fall over. He still had more coming?

“Uh, sir, if I may ask, what did he get me?”

Hades got out a clove of garlic and started shelling them, sticking a knife into the raw meat to stuff them inside. He had a hidden smile on his face that could be obviously seen by Percy, though he didn’t have the slightest clue as to what the secret was.

“It’s not my place to say it, it’s his. He doesn’t even know that I know what he got you. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time. He looked just like Maria…” 

Percy gazed upon the face of Nico’s father, and for a split second felt the barest hint of pity for him. Then it was gone, like a candle flickered in the wind. He mustn’t forget what he did.

“Who is Maria?” 

Hades snapped his head at Percy, who flinched in fear. A moment passed and the murderous look in Hades eyes vanished, replaced with melancholic memories. The older man dropped the knife with a sigh.

“Ah, she’s my wife. Died a few years ago in a shooting.” 

_I know._

“Oh, sorry for asking.”

“Don’t be, she would have loved you. She loved dorky boys, it’s no wonder Nico became her life and joy.” Dorky? He wasn’t dorky, he was strong, funny, witty, but not dorky.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it. Now, moving onto the bigger picture. Do you know what to get him for his birthday?” 

Oh shit, his birthday! Percy totally forgot that he was supposed to buy him something. What did faggots like? Dildos? Pride shirts? He didn’t really know. He hadn’t really thought past Christmas in terms of longevity of his plan.

“Uuuuh….”

“I'll take that as a no. What did you get him for Christmas, at least?” 

Percy narrowed his eyes at Hades, who was busy transferring the meat into a baking rack.

“Promise not to tell him?”

“Sure.”

“I got him some art supplies. You know, a new artist pad, expensive colors, and a book to read.” 

Hades pursed his lips in an impressed manner, nodding his head up and down. The slice of his knife through some rosemary imitated his actions, almost contrasting the sizing of Percy’s worth to Nico in regards to Hades himself.

“Good taste. Now, you need to start planning what he gets for his birthday. May I suggest, some jewelry?” 

“Jewelry? Okay, I know he’s gay, but if you want him to start showing his pride…”

“No, you _idiota!_ He got one ear pierced about a year ago, that dumb child. It hurt like a bitch, he said, but still went through the process of keeping the lobe open. Maybe get him an earring?” Disregarding being called an idiot by the Devil himself, Percy nodded his head in agreement.

“I might just do that.” 

From then on, the two worked silently, with Hades humming to himself and Percy brooding silently. How could someone so… ugh, have such a supportive father and home life. His eyes wandered the kitchen until he found a portrait of three people.

“W-what is that over there?” Hades stopped dicing vegetables to look over and smile.

“That is a family portrait that Nico drew of me, Bianca, and him. I'm sure you know who Bianca is.”

“Yes, sir.”

“He drew that on a day I will never forget. He came home crying, and I asked him what’s wrong.” Hades face had taken a serious turn, still chopping the onion. “He told me that he liked someone, and they didn’t like him back. He said he hated them.” Percy nodded, entranced with the story for some reason.

“I told him to keep his head up and told him “Make that person like you. Make them believe that they missed out on such a great friend. But not everyone will like you. Once you get this friend, you can relax.””

“Did he ever make the friend?” Hades laughed sadly in response.

“He never said. Ever since Bianca, he became even more withdrawn. And my school, it’s tough trying to support him and focus on studying. I'm so close, though, I have to keep this up.” Hades placed the knife down on the cutting board, face unreadable.

“I ask of you one thing, though, Percy.”

“Yes?”

“Make sure he doesn’t kill himself. I know what he does. His thought process. His scars. I want him to have a childhood not mired by bullies and fake friends. The only friends I had when I was growing up were my neighbors, my “brothers”. Can you protect him?”

Wow. What an ironic request.

“I promise.” 

Hades put down his knife and approached Percy. He didn't know what to do, so he was taken aback when arms encircled his shoulders. He almost jerked back out of fear for his safety when a voice called out to him.

“You should know my hugs are very, very rare, so please reciprocate.” Percy chuckled weakly and put an arm around the other’s shoulder. After a few moments, Hades let go and Percy brushed himself down.

“So…”

“Sorry for making things awkward. I just really wanted to show my appreciation.” Hades’ face was now back into its monotonous fashion, when he looked around at the mess they made.

“Well, I prepped everything, and you helped too. Thank you. I think you can go back upstairs to Nico.” Percy nodded quickly and rushed to get out of the kitchen before a hand was placed on his shoulder.

“Also, young man. I don’t want to hear ANYTHING happen in my household, or else I will drag you down to hell and make you _suffer_. Capiche?” Percy gulped, real terror now clouding his eyes.

“Comprende.” And with that, he bolted from the room. Hades shook his head in amusement.

“Teenagers. How funny scaring them can be.”

* * *

Percy walked back up the stairs to the bedroom, where he was about to pull the door open when he collided with the frame, heavy gasps escaping his body. _Holy shit, holy shit, that was fucking scary._ Percy had never been more afraid in his life. He was just as he remembered him, minus the ridiculous cooking attire. He remembered it all, and he knew that that was the man indeed. The man who-

“Percy? Holy shit, finally! I was getting worried my dad butchered you! Are you good?” 

Nico had opened the door to find Percy stumble in and hit the mattress hard, groaning exhaustively. Percy pulled himself up and glared at Nico, standing near the doorway with a concerned expression upon his face.

“Your father is a damn scary man, Di Angelo.” 

Nico nodded hesitantly and closed the door, sighing in relief by his response.

“You had me so worried, I thought my dad would fuck everything up! I can’t have him worry about me through you too.”

“Don’t worry about it, faggot. He seems oblivious, for now.” 

Why did he lie for him? He had nothing to gain from it. Nico stared back at him, eyes less scared and a bit more guarded, like a vault in a bank holding money.

“So, Percy, what do you want to do know while we wait?” 

Percy shrugged and looked outside, where it was once again snowing quietly. An idea popped into his mind and he grinned wickedly, thinking of the perfect “game” to play.

“How about we go into the snow and have a snowball fight?” Nico tilted his head slightly, not liking the sound of his voice one bit.

“Snow? After we just went out? How about we do something like, I don’t know, watch TV, or make hot chocolate.” Percy made a disgusted face, putting his hand in his mouth to demonstrate someone barfing.

“Do I look like I’m a part of a Hallmark movie? No! I’d rather do something physical than sit on my ass.” Nico rolled his eyes and gathered his jacket, clothes from earlier still on.

“Fine, let’s go outside. I can’t wait to catch frostbite.” Percy sidled up to Nico and whispered closely in his ear.

“You won’t get frostbite near someone as hot as me, baby.” 

Nico shivered into his jacket, starved for affection, and Percy rolled his eyes, punching him in the shoulder. He sidestepped him, barreling down the staircase to the backyard. He threw one last insult before his head of black hair disappeared down the stairs.

“Faggot.” 

Nico grumbled into his jacket and wandered off downstairs to the shoes to put back on his boots. Once he laced them up, he met with Percy outside and surveyed the landscape.

The snowy backyard looked magical. The bright Christmas lights Nico and his dad put up shone brightly in the white snow, making the entire place sparkle like a disco ball. The receding sun into the horizon helped with the peaceful atmosphere, shining dim rays of sunlight upon the chairs next to a relaxing table and the summer garden. The only place not covered by snow was the patio deck, protected by a study wall of brick. Inside the patio lay an outdoor stove, some cabinets, and spare blankets for guests and candles for blackouts. Nico looked around and saw Percy wearing a black beanie and blue jacket on the snow just beyond the patio, rolling around and throwing snow. He noticed the younger boy gazing at him and stuck up the middle finger, beckoning him with it.

Rolling his eyes, Nico followed the finger into the snow, where he was immediately pounded by a snowball. He whipped his head up at Percy with rage, while the other doubled over in laughter.

“What the fuck, I wasn’t ready!” Percy grinned wickedly and leaned his fit body against the backyard table.

“Ha, I don’t give a shit, better be ready next time!” 

He was already ready by the time Percy finished speaking, a cold sphere of icy slush slapping Percy in the face. Nico hid his face in his glove to hide his smile, pleased with how he made the bully shut up. His glee was curtailed as Percy glanced back up, murderous rage in his sea-green eyes.

“You’re dead.” Nico yelped as pre-made snowballs launched his way, ducking and weaving the wrath of his “boyfriend”. He ran to the other side of the field, where he started making snowballs of his own. His own fun was vanquished easily as the much stronger boy gathered up as much snow as possible in a bucket previously hidden and dumped in on Nico, collapsing his compact body.

“Hey, no fair, you’re cheating!”

“All’s fair in love and war, bitch.” Percy was about to pile on another pail of snow into the bucket before he was pulled down by the leg, faceplanting into a snow mound. Nico rushed up and put a foot on Percy’s back, too filled with adrenaline to be scared of the repercussions of his action.

“I’m the king of the world!”

“You’re about to be the king of the Underworld once I’m done with you!” Percy twisted his body so that Nico lost his footing and fell backwards. Once he fell backwards, Percy dragged him to an area near the side of the house where no one could see and began to press all of the spots that he knew held bruises from his past beatings. Nico, who had just been rather content with what went down, began thrashing against Percy. He wasn’t going to get abused in his own household, he wouldn’t.

“Ow, stop it! Stop, OW, please!” His hands tried to break away from Percy’s grip, but the other teen’s nimble fingers pinned the Italian down.

“Fuck you!” One slap to the bruised area from Halloween, a thumb digging into his side that usually got kicked, there were so many places. He could touch anywhere, wherever he wanted…

But he stopped. There were so. many. places.

One from two years ago in that alleyway near the movie theater when they both decided to watch the same movie, three more he could feel near his rib when he constantly elbowed him out of the way for food in the lunch line, another on his hamstring from pushing him in basketball during P.E. So many memories could be seen from the injuries of this boy. Why did it make Percy miserable all of a sudden?

These thoughts got pushed down when he saw the expression beheld on the younger boy’s face. The pain and agony from feeling past feelings, the unshed tears trying not to release in fear of egging on a bigger reaction. Snow now covering his terrified face and body trembling, anticipating the next blow. Percy raised a hand over his head, gauging what the reaction would be. Nico closed his eyes, mouth shut closed and body rigid. Softly, Percy lowered his hand and caressed his face, cupping his cheek in an attempt to calm him down.

Nico had had enough. He was tired of being mistreated and as soon as he was done being thrown around like a ragdoll, he would stand up and tell Percy off. His eyes closed, mouth shut and body stiff as to lessen the pain, someone’s thumb rubbed his cheek. The heavy body atop him shimmied down to distribute the weight evenly so that their bodies fight perfectly. Nico opened his eyes to find them spilling tears, in front of the concerned face of Percy. What was going on?

“Percy, what are you doing?” 

His ragged voice cut through the silence, releasing the tension previously unnoticed. His attacker, looking stricken with an unfamiliar emotion, regarded Nico with sadness. A pair of soft lips ghosted over his own, making his breath hitch. A soft sigh escaped Percy before he leaned over once more and captured his soft lips.

Wow.

The kiss wasn’t like anything we had ever been exposed to. No forced tongue, no hand tugging hair, no anything. It was a normal kiss, by any means. A tongue gently pushed past lips as we allowed, too lost in our actions to protest. We could hear muffled moans as the kiss evolved into something bigger, much more meaningful than anything we had experienced. We lay like that, in the snowy weather, blind to the world above us.

Time was irrelevant. Nothing had ever been more _clear_ to either of us in my life.

It was perfect. And that was what scared Percy.

The kiss, it wasn’t what he wanted it to be. He wanted to forget his troubles, his mistakes, through this one kiss. However, it magnified them, forced them into view for the entire world to judge. All his weaknesses and perils personified in one touching of the lips.

His eyes opened and he could see the younger boy’s face contorting, mixing between confused and horrified and something he couldn’t quite place. He let go of the kiss, biting the bottom lip softly before releasing and panting softly. The other’s boy’s eyes opened and he could finally picture what had been going through his brain, what he must have thought.

Pa-

“Nico! Percy! Are you done yet? The prime rib is done!” 

What? No way had that much time had passed… Right? Nico, who had been laying there under the green eyed beauty in his black hat coughed a little into the air.

“Ahem.” Percy shuffled up immediately and pressed his back to the house, heart pounding. Nico got up slowly, took one last fleeting look at the scared teenager, and walked towards the patio into his house.

Both boys retreated back into the warm house and sat down at the dinner table. The food was delicious, the pasta and bread and meat. Hades had soft piano music playing in the background, occasionally making jokes at the expense of Nico for Percy. And Nico acted as if a switch had been pulled.

Much, much different from earlier, he laughed, he bartered with his dad, he acted lovely with Percy, he acted everything to a T. Nico complimented the food, as well as Percy (“Where did you learn how to cook?” “Well, my sister, a farmer, knows how to cook all of this good food…”), whose praise was a bit more genuine. He ate all of his food, a feat not gone unnoticed by his dad. “Wow, you got my boy to eat all of his food! I take it back, you are allowed to do whatever you want to him in this household!”, the response causing Nico and Percy to groan simultaneously. Percy did the same act, to the similar degree, deceptive smile protruding. 

They cleaned their dishes and once done, kissed each other in front of Hades to play their part, the possessive nature back. After one more bite of food and some drinks, the lovely couple went off to bed.

Once they entered the room, silence took hold. Nothing was spoken, nothing was said, just the shuffling of feet and the struggle of taking off a pair of pants. Nico sighed, and uttered the only words he would that night.

“Why?” Percy, who had been brushing his teeth, spit into the sink and wiped his mouth. He opened his mouth to say the words, but realized words had not yet formed in his mind, his action being involuntary. This little reaction halted his functions, putting all his efforts into establishing his response. Finally, he came up with a response he found short, but sufficient about why.

“It was new. Now go to sleep. And no cuddling.” Nico paused, gazing right into expressionless green eyes. He hesitantly nodded at the unexpected answer and let out a short breath, before clambering into the sheets. Percy followed suit, making sure not to repeat his mistake of holding the fag- no, the other boy in his sleep. The older teen fell asleep a few minutes later, the dark and cold aura of the room lulling him into a fitful sleep.

Meanwhile, the small Italian could not sleep for a long while. He kept replaying the scene in his mind, the torture of the presses, the suddenness of his stroking, and the finality of the incident. He, too, fell asleep to fitful dreams. The air shifted, turning bitter once more, filled with the notions of the kiss.

* * *

They woke up cuddled up to one another again. Nico was the first to notice the familiar warmth, the sun barely up at 6 in the morning.

 _How ironic_ , Nico thought to himself. Of course the only time they looked like the perfect couple was in bed, only for the illusion to shatter once they escaped the confines of blankets and pillows. It was only a matter of time before Percy woke.

Indeed, it took less than 10 minutes for Percy to stir and find himself in a position similar to the night before. Nico, still awake, closed his eyes and feigned sleep as not to make the other boy suspicious. A body left the bed, wordlessly, and stepped away to change in the bathroom.

Nico still hadn’t gotten up, and he wasn’t about to. He didn’t want to leave the safeness of his bed, despite it being the most gift saturated day of the year. He didn’t want to go and give someone who had just made things so much more complicated than needed a gift. But he had to.

He had to keep appearances, make sure everyone was happy, because if they found out about his past, they wouldn’t give him one look once they abandoned him. Just like Bianca did.

The door to the bathroom slammed open, cutting a pathway through his little mantra. A voice yelled out to Nico, equal parts terrified and indignant.

“Di Angelo, there is a fucking spider in the shower! Get rid of it right now!”

Grumbling to himself, Nico hopped out of bed and traversed to the bathroom to find Percy on top of the toilet, holding the plunger out to keep his distance. In the bathtub, a house spider lay, almost serene despite Percy’s tumultuous screams.

“Calm your tits, dude. I’ll let it out.” A death glare burned into the back of Nico’s head as he grabbed the spider with his bare hands and plopped it outside the window, away from Percy and himself. As he closed the window, an unknown hand came down and smacked his ass, hard.

“Ow! What the fuck!?”

Of course he knew who did it, but that didn’t make it any less annoying. The younger Italian spun around and crossed his arms at the equally annoyed swimmer.

“I don’t have tits.”

“I don’t give a fuck, it’s a figure of speech. Are you ready for Christmas presents or do you want to punch me one more time?” Percy cocked his eyebrow, showing how surprised he was at the response. A few seconds passed…

“OW!”

“You said…”

“I was being FACETIOUS!” Nico rubbed his arm in an injured manner, holding it close to his body. Something flickered across Percy’s face and he looked down at the other boy’s arm with regret.

“I’m sorry.” What? Nico had to double glance at Percy, who was redder than a Christmas light, when those words left his mouth.

“Hu-, wh-? O-oh, it’s f-fine. It doesn’t hurt that bad.” Nico had never been so confused in his life. The other was acting so out of the ordinary, and while they were alone to top it all off. What had that kiss done to him?

“We should…” Nico didn’t even need to hear the rest of the sentence to take action.

“Yeah, I mean, the presents downstairs still haven’t been opened. Besides, I might have gotten you a plunger to rid off more spiders.” Percy glanced up and did something Nico hadn’t seen for a long time. He smiled.

A small one, mind you, but it really complimented his face, much more natural than the disgust plastered so often in his company. A sliver of white teeth shown before he clamped his mouth shut and pushed Nico on the shoulder.

“Ass-fucking-hole. Let’s go get your present.” Nico nodded and walked towards the door, opening it and holding his arm out.

“C’mon, I'm waiting.” Percy tilted his head and nodded, running down the stairs with the excitement of a 7 year old child. Nico met him down there and in the dawn lit room, he could see just how beautiful everything was.

The sparkle of the Christmas tree, the deep, rich, festive colors of the season, and the crisp smell of fresh snow outside on the ground from days of nonstop storms. Percy was on his knees, searching through the tree for something.

“Hey faggot, I need some help over here. Where’s my gift?”

“You’ll find it. It’s the one that says Percy on it.”

“Wow, no fucking way. I didn’t think so.” Nico ignored the ridiculing tone of his voice and reached towards the drawer next to the tree, where he pulled out Percy’s gift.

“Here you are.” Percy glanced his way and his eyes popped open. He looked up at Nico and snarled.

“Fuck you! Wait, no. That’s gay. Let me find your gift.” Percy reached around the tree and gave a little scream of success before pulling out a poorly wrapped box. The little reindeers were sticking out from the paper in jagged ways and if Nico looked closely, he could see glue under the paper.

“Thank you, Percy. I appreciate the, uhh… kind gesture of wrapping it.” If sarcasm was heard, Percy obviously didn’t hear it, as he puffed his chest in happiness.

“Your welcome, faggot. Now open it.”

“Oh, I couldn’t, it’s just so…”

“Open it or your eyeball is gonna be disconnected from your eye socket.” A fist came rather close to Nico’s eye, the younger boy gulping the fear down and tearing the package open. Once he realized what the inside contents were, his insides started bawling in joy. On the outside, he looked stunned.

“Thank you, Percy. I-I haven’t been able to draw in so long!” Percy shrugged, leaning against the couch.

“No problem. Just don't draw me anymore and I won’t throw your shit in the river.” Nico flinched while Percy laughed, slapping his hand to his knee. His hand brushed his unopened gift and his face turned excited again.

“Hey, now I can see what I got from you!”

“I hope you like it.” Percy pulled out from the paper a very simplistic box, with a hinge and some very heavy contents in it. He opened it, slowly lifting the box to find…

A watch and a ring, lying on a fitted pillow. The watch was a lustrous silver color, embedded with tiny blue specks here and there to give off a sparkling display. The face of the watch had the time in analog, the arms of the device pointing at the correct time. As Percy turned it around, he noticed how the different shades of silver transitioned from one to another, resulting in a cacophony of designs in the light.

The ring, however, was the main thing that caught Percy’s eye. It was a rich ocean blue, mimicking the color of the sea near the coral reefs. It’s smooth exterior was beautiful, and the intricacy of the design, with it’s swirling lines near the base blew Percy away. In place of the jewel, however, lay a little container filled with a mystery fluid. It looked like water, of all things.

“Why is there water in this shit?” Nico immediately started explaining, a bit eager to get his reason out.

“Oh, that’s ocean water. I went out to the Atlantic before it started snowing and got a little vial of it to put in there. It’s because you always smell like seawater, and I thought that it’d be cool to have you wear seawater with your ring so you can explain why whenever someone asks! If you don’t like it, I can always return it.”

“Don’t.” Nico cocked his head in confusion. The look on Percy’s face was undecipherable, almost blank, but he could tell there was something working behind the wall he put up.

“What?”

“I like it. It’s a great Christmas present. Thank you, Nico.” Did he just… call him by his real name? And with that, Percy went in for a kiss.

It was just like yesterday. Soft, sweet, confusing. The boys didn’t let that last part get to them, however. A tear slid down Nico’s face, when he realized the meaning behind this kiss. The **days** didn't get worse, it got better. But he knew, somewhere along the way, that this wasn’t how it would always be. It would end, finitely. It wasn’t confusing, it was clear.

And on this Christmas day, sitting by a tree near forgotten presents, that the line differentiating between real and fake feelings was now…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before you all start bombarding me, here's my schedule for my stories.
> 
> Chapter: Masking It
> 
> One-Shot: PJO or Marvel Universe (Spideypool or Stony)
> 
> Chapter: Empathetic
> 
>  
> 
> _Rinse and repeat_
> 
>  
> 
> Okay, now let's dive into this chapter. Lots of stuff happened.
> 
> Firstly, that lick scene was totally before I had any idea what I wanted this chapter to go through, and I just kept it because I found it funny. 
> 
> Secondly, the dynamic of Percy and Hades. I found that writing Hades as a genuine father with a terrible past is much more fluid with my writing, which is why I went with it. Their interactions may seem a bit... cliche, but you have got to admit, Hades and Percy have a hate truce going on in canon, so it's only fair to write them as it is. Percy is utterly terrified of Hades for some reason though, I wonder why? Oh well, it's not like that will ever get touched upon again.
> 
> Thirdly, Percy and Nico dynamic. FYI, he's still a dick. And it's always going to evolve, like an actual relationship. I found that the kiss scene was a real good placemarker for how far the two have come from September? October? I can't even remember what month they began dating. It's one of my favorite parts of the fan fiction process, just the progression of ideas and little steps that characters make to become what they will become. Also, I love writing fluffy stuff before the real shit goes down >:D MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA I've learned from others on here, it's true. 
> 
> Lastly, the title. I don't usually explain the title, but you might not understand why I made it what it is this time. Muddled is not referring just to their feelings, but their point of views as well. During the kiss scene, you may have noticed the use of "we" instead of "him", my usual third person focused omnipresent style for this story. This is supposed to show that in that one part, they fell away from that "him" and became "we", muddling the senses and what person was feeling what. It's a subtle metaphor I tried to put in, but I don't know how you'll feel about it. Might be good, might be bad.
> 
> And just like that, another chapter bites the dust. Okay, so now, I go back to Google Docs and continue my writing of a one-shot that'll come out who knows when, and yeah. Comment please, kudos, bookmarks, anything is acceptable. I'll even entertain you with a conversation, if you fancy. Peace out!


	9. Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I haven't updated since January, but I have some exciting news! I have a beta reader now! She is a really cool person and she'll try to help me a lot with my update schedule and editing my stories! Her name is [Coffeefairy123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coffeefairy123/pseuds/Coffeefairy123/works) on AO3, so if you want to check out her works, you should!
> 
> In other news, school school school, more school, been playing some video games and am now a newly converted shipper from Overwatch (McHanzo :D), and things have been going more smoothly. With summer coming up, I will have more time to create more fanfics and delve a bit deeper into my vault of unfinished freaking stories LOL. But other than that, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! 
> 
> Reminder that I don't own these characters and shit, if you couldn't tell.
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTICE (FOR THIS CHAPTER ONLY): 
> 
> I highly suggest, maybe even require you to, listening to [X Ambassadors - Unsteady](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjryf8zH_M) and [How Long Will I Love You - Ellie Goulding ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an4ySOlsUMY) when you are reading the lyrics. Immerse yourself, son!

“You know, I still can’t get over how good your hand looks with that ring on.”

“Fuck off, Grace. Get your own ring.” Percy slumped over the table, his ringed hand writing down homework furiously, trying hard to ignore the dumbass that was his best friend. Jason was sitting across from him, reading one of his books with a look of contentment. They were currently residing inside of a coffee shop, safe from the snow storm outside.

Percy was stumped. He fucked up. He couldn’t get over that he had actually kissed the faggot. He didn’t even know why he kissed him, if out of pity or plain annoyance, it didn’t matter. As long as he didn’t catch feelings for him like last time, it would be all good. He was good.

“Perce? Bro, you’re kind of out of it today.” Percy’s head shot up in confusion, the blue eyes of his friend staring at him. “Is anything the matter?” Quickly, he shot up a fake smile and shrugged.

“Of course not man. It’s just I have something on my mind. It’s about, uh…” Shit, what was today? The 20th? Oh right, that’s what he had forgotten.

“It’s about what I should get Nico for his birthday.” Jason’s suspicious eyes relaxed and even dilated a bit in excitement.

“Oh, shit! His birthday is next week, isn’t it? What are you getting your cutie?” _He is not cute_ , Percy thought bitterly to himself.

“I don’t know, man. I already got him some painting supplies, so that’s out of the question.” Percy said instead of what was on his mind.

“Well, how about a date instead? Just the two of you, all alone and intimate, holding each other and watching a movie...” Jason waved his hands around aimlessly, smiling absently. Percy’s eyes narrowed in false judgment.

“Are you trying to push onto me what you would do with Nico if you had a chance to celebrate his birthday?” Jason said while wagging his eyebrows in a joking way.

“Hell yeah.” A slight chuckle escaped Percy, his head running down to overlook his homework. His mind raced by, preoccupied with what he had to get for the faggot. A book? Some brighter fucking clothes? Another ki-

Stop. He didn’t even need to get him anything more. A sigh escaped Jason, startling Percy out of his daydreams.

“You’re really distracted today. Did you even hear me the first time? Just bring him on a date.” A date?

“A date? Really? I mean, it’s not like we haven’t been on tons already!” _No we haven’t._

“No, you haven’t.” _Shut your dumb mouth, Grace._ A frown flickered across Percy’s features. Jason smiled triumphantly until he looked down and suddenly jumped up in shock. He began grabbing his laptop and cup of coffee, shoving his papers inside his backpack hastily.

“I gotta leave, bro! Gotta pick up Thalia or else she’ll be pissed!” With that, he darted out of his seat and into the snow, leaving Percy waving awkwardly into the air.

“Later, bro. Thanks for the idea.” Percy sighed and slumped his head down, his coffee spilling onto his paper.

Great. Date it is.

* * *

Nico sat in his room, scrolling through the social media on his phone. He usually didn’t post because he didn’t have many followers to actually look at it, but now that more people were finding out he actually had a page, they found him and requested to take a look into his life.

However, the only reason they decided to find him and look at his photos was that Percy was their friends, introducing others to his account. They wouldn’t have even bothered looking him up if he wasn’t Percy’s boyfriend. He looked at the app and rolled his eyes, shutting the phone off and flopping back onto the bed.

He really needed to do something, or else he’d just start daydreaming of kissing Percy.

Ever since Christmas, things had been getting worse. His mind usually began to wander to his “crush” whether it is during his free time or at school. It flip flopped between scenarios of intimate cuddling and kisses between the two or even worse fantasies.

Getting pinned to a bed held by only his wrists, large hands manhandling him into suggestive positions…

A whimper escaped Nico before he realized how stupid he must look, alone in his room and hard for a guy who didn’t care the slightest about him. He reached for his phone again, taking a look at the screen in hopes of finding solace in the uneventful day.

_One new message from: Percy Jackson_

Speak of the motherfucking devil.

_Percy_ : _Hey faggot, we’re going on a date this Saturday at Olympus Mile High. Be there or else I’ll cut your tendons._

A date? He’s never wanted a date before. And wasn’t this Saturday his birthday?

Nico was at a loss for action, his thumbs moving slightly in hesitation over the keypad, trying to find the words to respond with.

**Sure, I’d love to.**

Way too passive.

**ay, no problem, let’s get it boi!**

Nico had never physically cringed until he finished reading that text.

**Fuck off, don’t talk to me again.**

It was too tempting. Just get it over with and stop this stupid game that they were playing. Over the past month, the Italian could feel the rift between him and Percy grow from just mutual dislike to uneasy tension. The emotions rattled within him, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Just as Nico’s thumb appeared over the Send button, another message popped up.

_Percy_ : _I can see the bubbles, dipshit. You don’t have to respond, just fucking go._

Goddamnit. Nico’s confidence deflated and he sighed, slamming his face into the pillow and screamed. He looked at his phone and his body shook in anger. All he wished for was that he could tell Percy how he felt and how they could at least try and be somewhat frenemies, but admitting this was the hardest thing to do. Defeatedly, he shot him a very simple text.

**Nico** : **Fine.**

* * *

Nico walked up to the swanky restaurant in jitters, his breath coming up a bit short. It was his 16th birthday and it had been quiet enough. A small hug from his dad and some money, a few messages online wishing him for more birthdays to come, and a day of drawing with his materials and reading. Now had come the time for what he had been dreading. His “date” with Percy.

The young boy was dressed in a button down shirt with black slacks which was way too formal for someone like himself. His unkept and tangled black hair was tied back into an extremely loose ponytail and his shoes clacked noisily on the floor of the enormous ballroom-esque restaurant. He walked up nervously to the podium with a waiter, looking at him tiredly and expectantly. It was as if he had waited all day to go home, only to be thwarted by an emo looking kid.

“May I help you, sir?”

“U-uh, I’m waiting for my date.” Nico glanced around nervously, waiting for a certain someone to come around and harass him, maybe even punch him like many times before. His dread was confirmed when he saw Percy walking up the hall, formally dressed and looking slightly irritated. Once he saw the Italian, he smiled wickedly and nodded his head towards him.

“Hey, babe.” Nico blushed a bright red and looked down at the floor. He didn’t understand the effect Percy had on him, but it never went away. The butterflies always came back. “I got you a present.”

Nico looked up at his date and was surprised when he was whisked away towards an unoccupied part of the restaurant near the restrooms. He wasn’t surprised at the fist connecting with his sternum.

“Ugh!” Percy let out a sigh of relief and kneed the boy in the stomach.

“Fucking bitch, that felt good!” Nico was already close to throwing up and food hadn’t entered his stomach. Small tears welled up at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill. It was already off to a bad start. Percy rolled his eyes and smacked Nico upside the head.

“Hey, faggot. Stop crying. Did you really think I wouldn’t do that?” Nico shook his head and let out a small cry when he was pushed against the wall. Percy sneered in his direction and ushered his head towards a nearby table. “Let’s go eat.”

The night went by relatively uneventful unless you counted the amount of times Percy assaulted him with his foot underneath the table. Kicking him in the shin and crushing the other boy’s feet made it almost impossible for Nico not to scream in pain. Finally, as the night started to close and the check was paid off, Percy looked over at his “date”.

“So, you ready to dip, faggot? I need to be somewhere.” Nico nodded once, not wanting to aggravate the sadistic boy any longer. All he wanted to do right now was go home and nurse his bruises. They both got out of their chairs and walked towards the exit. Percy kept a tight arm around Nico’s neck, basically choking the poor teen.

The streets were not that crowded so most people couldn’t watch the two boys walking home. A light snow laid over the city as they walked along the sidewalk. Nico had been alright before the date, but now he felt completely miserable. He was short of breath and desperate for some air. He glanced up at Percy, who gave him no mind. He started pulling at the arm around his neck and looking for someone to help him. Anyone…

No way.

At a distant lamppost, someone stood under the fluorescent light. Standing there as if she hadn’t been crushed by a pile of rocks 4 years ago. Her skin glowed with health, unblemished by the gashes from the autopsy. Nico felt a surge of strength fly through him and he ripped himself from Percy’s arm. His legs felt like nothing as he pushed further and further through the snow until he reached his destination...

But there was no one there under the bright light. No Bianca and none of her warm love that Nico had craved ever since she left him. Just a pole, its shadow, and him. A single tear left his eye and fell down his face. He leaned against the metal pole for support. Percy started yelling at him from a distance, hurling insults left and right.

“What the fuck are you doing, faggot? Don’t fucking run away like a dumbass! I swear, you get stupider each time I go out with-” Percy didn’t get to finish his sentence before Nico was pinning him against the lamppost. His indignant yell was silenced when he saw the murderous expression plastered on Nico’s face. His eyes almost seemed to burn into his own, black pools of tar threatening to swallow all of whatever he threw at him.

“You know what, Percy? Piss. Off. I don’t need your goddamn bullshit right now. Can’t you go one day without being such a cancerous bitch? I just believed I saw my dead sister and you’re being an insensitive shit right now. Go on and insult me. It won’t bring her back.” At that last statement, Nico stumbled back and released a stifled sob. He crumpled onto the ground and weeped. His eyes turned red with anger and he fell into a fetal position like a baby.

Percy didn’t know what to do. Nico had never pushed him back before. All he could do was watch the mental breakdown of this kid he had no business caring for. Reflexively, he extended a hand towards him.

“Hey, I’m sor-!” Pain shot through his arm when it got close to Nico, causing him to flinch back. The younger boy was crawling backwards, his mouth snarling in disgust.

“Don’t even touch me right now, you monster. I’m going back home. You can walk yourself.” Nico got up and brushed the wet snow off of his hands onto his nice pants. With a final glare, he disappeared into the snowy night, almost as if he absorbed himself into the shadow.

Percy was left alone underneath the lamppost, his body and mind slowly numbing from the cold. He didn’t know what had just happened or how he should feel. All he could do was replay the anger, the frustration, and the loneliness from Nico in his mind. His hand twisted the water ring on his finger, trying to find something to distract him.

* * *

Nico avoided Percy for the next two weeks, ignoring all of his texts and calls no matter how threatening the voicemails became. In one of them, it almost sounded like Percy was desperate.

Almost.

Valentine’s Day was in just 3 days, and Nico didn’t know if he wanted to celebrate it with his “boyfriend”. Gods, why was he even trying anymore. None of that bullshit Percy made up made any sense anyway. ‘Make sure Annabeth doesn’t think of anything’? Why should Nico care what Annabeth thinks of him when she finds out what Percy has been doing to him? The only thing holding him back from revealing was the inevitable knockback of everyone leaving him because he was too weak to defend himself all those years. Just a weak, lonely faggot.

A new text message popped up on Nico’s phone, a different sound than when Percy would text him. Curiously, he picked it up and read the message.

_One new message from: Jason Grace_

Jason had his phone number? He didn’t even give it to him.

_Jason_ : _Hey Nico, why have you been ignoring Percy? He’s been at my bed crying for the past week. :( It’s getting a bit out of hand, just texting to say you need to do something. :D_

Crying? HA. Fucking bullshit. Nico would not allow any leverage in his decision to take Percy out of his mind.

**Nico** : **Crying? Uh huh. We got into a fight and I’m still really mad about it. I just need a bit of space.**

_Jason_ : _You’re still mad about that fight from, like, two weeks ago? Grudge much?_

**Nico** : **> :(**

_Jason_ : _Sorry. Just please help, my pillow is slowly staying wet from all the tears he’s shed._

**Nico** : **> :( Maybe. Talk to you later.**

_Jason_ : _Talk to you later, baby._

Nico blushed at the not-so-subtle flirting Jason was throwing at him and threw his phone at the pillow. His mind whirred in anger at what Percy said to him during his hallucination. He knew what had happened to her and yet looked so… unamused. Like it was an everyday occurance for him to break down and begin crying over his dead sister. He hated that look, even more than one of pity.

All he needed was some rest. He brushed his teeth and changed for bed, glancing at the roof above him before falling asleep.

* * *

Ah, February 14th. The devil’s day to shine.

Nico snorted at the multiple bouquets of flowers strewn around the school, occasionally picking one up and twirling it in his hand. He threw each and every one to the ground. stomping on them to release his anger. He was on his 4th flower when a hand gripped his shoulder, shocking him back to reality.

“Mijo! You okay there?” Nico whirled around to find Leo, Rachel, and Will all staring at him really hard. “ I know you got into a fight with Percy but if Gardener sees you messing with her children, she’s coming after your ass.”

After a few seconds of silence, Nico replied stiffly. “What Percy and I have fought about is none of your business.”

“Who said it was?” Now the blonde guy was talking, shouldering his backpack and adjusting himself to better talk to Nico. They hadn’t interacted much during school, but Nico had seen him enough at the hospital to avoid him. No reason to get diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

Nico looked at all of them expectantly. “Well, what do you want?”

Will rolled his eyes and motioned with his hand. “We want to eat lunch with you. Percy has been pestering us for the past 3 days and if I have to be around him any more, I’ll stick my needle in his nerve.” That… seems illegal, but Nico shrugged off the unnerving thought and glared at the blonde.

“Who said I’d eat with you?”

“I did.” Rachel came forward and grasped his hand. Nico recoiled in shock and stared at the new mark on his arm.

“Why the hell did you cover me in red paint?!”

“Well, if you didn’t know, I painted the Valentine’s Day poster today by myself using just my hands. Pretty impressive, huh?” Nico nodded his head a bit, too busy trying to wipe off the paint from his skin. “So, get over here, Death Boy.”

Nico grunted at the nickname. “Don’t call me that ever again and I’ll come.”

They all walked towards the cafeteria, talking about things that didn’t interest Nico. Suddenly, the three of them took a right and kept going. Confused, Nico followed them.

“Uh, guys? The cafeteria is that way, unless you want to eat outside of school, which is pretty easy considering-”

“We’re here.” Nico stopped talking and looked up at where they were. An empty classroom door at the abandoned end of the school. Rachel approached the door and knocked on it three times.

“Hey, we got Nico! Do it!” Immediately the door opened and all three pushed Nico into the room. Now angry, he slammed on the non-budging door, screaming in anger.

“Get me out of here right now! This isn’t funny!”

He could hear Leo’s voice scream at him from the outside in laughter. “Look behind you, dumbass! Have fun!”

Nico begrudgingly turned around, expecting nothing but desks to be there. He was very wrong.

The entire room was decorated with electric candles, bathing the room in an artificial glow. The shadows played softly off the furniture, which consisted of a single couch in the middle of the room. And on that couch, holding a guitar and a rose, was none other than Percy Jackson. He was wearing a shirt and jeans, a simple black tie hanging around his neck. The thing that was most shocking to Nico however wasn’t all this. It was the fact that the boy in front of him looked nervous.

He could see the tremor in his hands, how his lips tried to touch each other in a smile that wasn’t going to look genuine. His knee bounced hard on the floor, the jitters very noticable to Nico. It was as if the tables had turned and he was Percy and Percy was him, trying to decide what to do.

Percy was a bright shade of red, looking up and back down at his instrument. He gave Nico a little wave.

“U-uh, what’s up, faggot.” Nico leaned against the wall, now very afraid of what was about to happen.

“W-what is this sick joke?” Percy opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Giving a short breath, he tapped his guitar once and glared at Nico angrily.

“Look, I’m sorry for what I said about your sister. Now shut up or else. I don’t wanna mess up.” He started strumming out some notes from the guitar, the sound alright at best. He was still shaking a bit, just as nervous as when he started. Nico was about to ask him to please stop when it happened. He began to sing.

_Hold_  
_Hold on_  
_Hold on to me_  
_'Cause I'm a little unsteady_  
_A little unsteady_  
_Hold_  
_Hold on_  
_Hold on to me_  
_'Cause I'm a little unsteady_  
_A little unsteady_

_If you love me_  
_Don't let go_  
_If you love me_  
_Don't let go_

WHAT.

Nico did not know what to do. His mind was processing the words that were coming from Percy’s mouth and the guitar sounds, but…

He honestly was at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

The raspy sound of Percy’s voice was not pleasant, but it wasn’t meant to be. It had raw emotion, filled with a sadness Nico _knew_ he didn’t deserve to harbor. How was he the one to act as if he was suffering when the boy right in front of him was still nursing scars from years before? Percy even looked the part of depressed, his hair covering his baggy eyes slightly and giving him a haunted expression. It was terrifying.

He had heard the song before on the radio, always listening but never understanding. The lyrics hit him in the face, reaching out to him like a plea for help. This song was this relationship, a string barely holding the seams. No tears escaped from Nico however as the song continued down its soul-breaking path.

_But if you love me_  
_Don't let go_  
_If you love me_  
_Don't let go_

_Hold_  
_Hold on_  
_Hold on to me_  
_'Cause I'm a little unsteady_  
_A little unsteady_  
_Hold_  
_Hold on_  
_Hold on to me_  
_'Cause I'm a little unsteady_  
_A little unsteady_

Nico didn’t notice his hands were as white as bedsheets, grasping at the doorknob in fear. The soft strumming of the guitar ceased to exist, fading away. Percy looked back up and widened his eyes in surprise.

“O-oh. You’re still here.” Nico glared back at the boy in front of him, crossing his arms.

“No shit.” Percy flinched back a bit and rubbed the back of his head.

“Well, I have one more.” His hand reached for the guitar once more, but before he could even touch it, Nico was there to hold his hand aggressively. The Italian threw the hand back over Percy’s lap, much to his anger.

“What the fuck!” Nico took a step forward and crossed his arms.

“Don’t even fucking try, Percy. You know what this is! This is all fake! All this love for me? Fake. I know you hate my motherfucking guts. So why even bother? This “love” reconciliation was never meant to be anything but you manipulating your friends.” Nico grimaced at his harsh words. Percy stood up and slapped Nico, sending him flying back.

“No, fuck you faggot! My friends made me do this stupid shit because they want us to make up. They love you, Nico. They want you to be happy, for some _stupid ass_ reason! And I love them because their also my family.” At the word “family”, a tear trickled down Percy’s eye. “I will do whatever to make sure people like _you_ never hurt them.”

“Hurt them? Why would I hurt them?” A fist connected with his stomach, pain blossoming quickly.

“STOP LYING TO ME! You know what happened all those years ago!” What? He didn’t understand anything coming out of the green-eyed boy’s mouth, still preoccupied with the pain. Fortunately, the older boy just looked down at his feet and grabbed the guitar.

“Fine. Act oblivious. Don’t act surprised when I say I hate you.” He gripped the guitar and choked out an angry sob before strumming another song. He was going at it slower now, humming along to the beat forlornly. The clarity of his voice surprised Nico right when the song started.

_How long will I love you?_  
_As long as stars are above you_  
_And longer, if I can._

Nico couldn’t bear to think of Percy loving him, not with how much pain he’s given him.

_How long will I need you?_  
_As long as the seasons need to_  
_Follow their plan._

He only needs Nico until December, then he’ll throw him out like the trash ke knows he is. Nico won’t fall for it though.

_How long will I be with you?_  
_As long as the sea is bound to_  
_Wash upon the sand._

He is the sea and Nico is the sand, bound to forever be broken down by the sea. The constant pounding of the shores were coincidental to the poundings he received for the past 4 years.

_How long will I want you?_  
_As long as you want me to_  
_And longer by far._

Nico never wanted him like this. He wanted to grow to love him and try and make friends, but now it seemed so fruitless.

_How long will I hold you?_  
_As long as your father told you,_  
_As long as you can._

Nico thought about his dad and how he would react to his boyfriend turning out to be abusive and a bully. He would flip, but he would make sure he never did anything to Percy. That was the least he could do for someone like… him, something to calm his conscience.

_How long will I give to you?_  
_As long as I live through you_  
_However long you say._

Nico could see the tears welling up in Percy’s eyes. His hands were shaking and his body was crumbling back to the couch. It was as if he could tell what the Italian's thoughts were and that he would not want him to stay.

_How long will I love you?_  
_As long as stars are above you_  
_And longer, if I may._

Nico heart clenched at the last verse, his first thought rushing back to his head. Percy would never truly love him. The boy in question was now rubbing his red eyes, staring at Nico with a foreign expression. Suddenly, he bounded forward and held him in a tight hug. Nico stiffened immediately at the close proximity before reluctantly returning the hug.

At that moment, it was as if that was the switch for everyone to come in. All of Percy’s friends came in and started cheering, throwing heart shaped confetti on them. Annabeth, leading the group with her baseball cap on, approached Percy and patted him on the shoulder.

“Told you I could get Will’s cousins to teach you how to sing! It wasn’t that-” Annabeth didn’t finish her sentence as she realized what was happening to Percy. She pushed Nico aside roughly and held her friend’s teary face for a second, becoming deathly quiet. The entire room became quiet as well, so much that you could hear a pin drop. Annabeth looked back and forth between Percy and Nico, whispering something to the boy in front of her. He whispered back to her almost immediately and her face relaxed.

“Guys, don’t worry. He’s just really emotional he got to make up with Nico.” She gave Nico an annoyed, almost _disgusted_ look before replacing it with a relieved one, hugging the crying boy close.

“I would kill you for making him cry but he was the one who started it. I’m sorry for your sister.” Nico waved a hand awkwardly into the air, leaning against the wall.

“No problem. It was hard to forgive, but he earned it with those killer songs.” _Incredibly awkward but killer songs_. Annabeth nodded sympathetically.

“Yeah, he’s been practicing ever since your birthday. You want me to let go so you guys can hang out for the rest of the day?” Nico shook his head at her _generous_ proposal.

“No, I think he needs some “best friend time” with you.” Percy nodded at the same time, rubbing Annabeth’s shoulder and fingering his ring again. She rubbed back, motioning to the other people.

“Well, Valentine’s Day is here but I’m not too keen on spending it alone. You guys want to go somewhere now that Percy’s done?” A few people had already left, but Leo, Jason, Silena, Frank, Hazel, and Rachel were still there.

“The mall!”

“The movies!”

“My bed so I can freaking sleep! ” Everyone pushed Leo back to the wall and he started complaining loudly, making everyone laugh. Nico laughed too, but before he could stop, he caught Percy’s eye contact. In the split second he saw it, he could sense something different about his look today.

His face was smiling and laughing all the same as the rest of them, but he didn’t shine with the same confidence as during Halloween. His eyes were dull, trying hard not to seem uninterested. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and it seemed Percy was dead tired from finishing his first…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank Coffeefairy123 from taking me out of procrastination town and check out her works! Her comments on my Docs give me life AGFAJDGAHSDA
> 
> I'm trying to finish a bunch of stuff right now, editing and writing takes a lot out of me but it's all worth it in the end! I hope you guys have a great day! Remember to kudos if you haven't ever read this story and to comment things that I can improve on or just absolutely shit on me XD (Compliments are nice too... ;-;)


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